Melbourne Reviews

Slava’s Snowshow is not just a love letter to the theatre but a resume outlining the possible.

Russian Clown Slava Polunin, set out “to create a show that would take us back to our childhood dreams.” In doing so, he’s undoubtedly realised many dreams of his own given his award-winning production has been thrilling, charming and inspiring audiences the world over since 1993 – the show returns to Australia for a brief east coast capital tour. 

While the elevation of clowning as an artform is of course an utterly understandable production by-product, it’s difficult to think of another show that more powerfully demonstrates the theatre’s capacity to generate a truly shared experience.

With the cheek and warmth of Charlie Chaplin and the precision and dexterity of Marcel Marceau, Slava's ‘Yellow Clown’ creation, played beautifully on this tour by his son Vanya Polunin, embodies our curiosity and innocence. He possesses the very idea of possibility, open and celebrating of love and joy but vulnerable to loss and deception. Through his numerous encounters and endeavours, the playfulness that has been so beautifully modelled throughout, in turn grants an infectious desire to stand and stare as wonderous things happen above and around us and the invitation is impossible to resist. Snowshow, infantilises and illuminates what our years can turn off.

Slava's dedication to his artform and indeed the legacy of Snowshow itself will ensure that the Clown remains pertinent and rightfully placed above and beyond side show shallow – Jongleurs, Court Jesters – Vladimir and Estragon – our commentators and our mirrors.

Snowshow is a portal to what can be realised and conveyed without words. There’s incredible craft here, years of training perfecting irrefutable gesture that speaks right to us – laughter yes, lots of it, but alongside the hilarity and madness are moments of pathos and magical heart wrenching loss that leads to the productions most heralded, unexpected and exhilarating moments.

See it, then see it again.