Theatre Review: Slava’s SnowShow at Theatre Royal Brighton

Summary

Rating: ★★★★★
Running Dates: Wed 11th December- Sun 15th December
Where to see it: Theatre Royal Brighton
Duration: 1 hr 40 min (incl. interval)
Keywords: Comedy, Clowning, Snow, Christmas

Review

I hadn’t seen a clown since I was maybe 8 or 9. Tonight, as I sat watching Slava’s SnowShow, I certainly didn’t feel much older than that. I laughed and laughed with the light-heartedness of a child, thanks to the magic of Slava’s performance.

Slava’s SnowShow is a dream of glitter and bubbles. It’s walking on a cotton candy cloud or riding on a mountain-sized ocean wave. It’s an unforgettable experience of childhood wonder, fun, and just the tiniest bit of bittersweet heartbreak.

The show premiered in Moscow in 1992. Created and staged by Slava Polunin, Slava’s SnowSnow has revolutionised the art of clowning by combining comedy and drama as no other performance had before. The result is a technicolour of magical realism and clowny silliness that will delight both adults and children. I witnessed the power of his work in the theatre tonight, where dozens of people were left with an aura of pure joy and happiness.

The story features a Yellow Clown, which is sweet and delicate if sometimes clumsy, and many Green Clowns, who do everything to annoy and disrupt the Yellow One. Each performance is distinct and funny in its own way. The Yellow Clown, our protagonist, is effortlessly hilarious. He can captivate their audience with simply a raise of the eyebrow or a wriggle of fingers. Amongst the Green Clowns, you will find a multitude of interpretations and varying degrees of comedy and drama. Slava Polunin, however, rises above everyone else with his masterful execution of the character: at moments hilarious, at others tragically heart-warming. He keeps the comedy simple and grounded, never failing to get a laugh out of the audience. 

Photography by Aya Rufin

As funny as the clowns are, the story has a surprising emotional depth. Just when you feel your cheeks ache from laughter, Slava will pull you closer for a heartfelt and poignant scene, finally showing how multi-faceted his character really is. My personal favourite moment in this regard was ‘The Coat Hanger”. For spoiler’s sake, I shall not describe it. I will only say that Slava’s powerful performance left me close to tears. I almost forgot I was watching a comedy.

The most unique thing about Slava’s SnowShow is its distinct visual and sensory quality. The glimmer of the bubbles, the deep blues and yellows of the set, and even the soft cotton of the costumes contribute to the dreamlike fairy tale that is Slava’s world. The music is also curated to serve this magical experience, soft bells ringing in your ears like a lullaby you’ve long forgotten. The main character of the show, however, is the snow. Making an appearance at various points throughout the story, the snow (white confetti, really) was a beautiful sight to see, the whiteness of it shimmering in the theatre's lights. Snow fights would break between clowns and the audience, bringing the performance even more to life.

I didn’t think that I would ever see a clown perform again. Oh, was I glad that I did. It is a memory I’ll cherish forever, of how I laughed amongst snow and bubbles and clowns. How for just a moment I left life behind and entered a dream made of children’s laughs and smiles. Now, as I finish writing this, the dream has ended and life starts again. Just like the carriage returns to pumpkin, the snow has turned to confetti at last. I’ll probably find some in my coat pockets for weeks.

See If:  You want to experience childhood magic once more
Last Impressions: Enchanting and glittery fairy tale in which clowns bring endless joy

You can find last minute tickets for the show on the ATG website.

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.

Written by Roberta Guarini