Slava’s Snowshow Blasts into Brisbane

Slava’s Snowshow, playing at the Lyric Theatre, QPAC is a fantastical journey devised by the Russian clown Slava Polunin, whose character came into being during Cirque du Soleil’s Alegria tour.

Transferring the circus clown into the arena of the theatre, Slava has toured his snow show and band of funny-sad winged-hat, floppy-booted clowns to thirty countries for the last twenty years, drawing on the influences of other great mime artists and clowns such as Charlie Chaplin, Marcel Marceau and Leonid Engibarov.

Slava’s Snowshow is a visually stunning fantasy realm where the stuff of dreams morph into life. Giant spider’s webs engulf the audience, while boats made of beds float across the stage, and snow falls from the ceiling.

And with the help of some stage magic via bubble and fog machines, beautiful lighting, and an epic soundtrack, theatrical poetry is born. The atmosphere is ethereal, magical, and heart warming, whilst also being funny and captivating.

For most part, I think this show is aimed more towards children who seem completely entranced by the epic visuals and enjoy the surprise of seemingly random segments, which unfortunately lacks the overall arc and layered comedy to keep the adults fully engaged.

But with precision timing, the spectacular finale redeems any faults when all manner of floating, falling, and bouncing things (large and small) are released upon the audience. In this moment, children and adults alike surrendered to the wonder – and just plain fun! – of a group play-date on a grand scale, which continued for the next fifteen to twenty minutes. Noone was in a rush to leave the theatre. I have never seen so many smiles and such pure joy in a long time. That was a special collective moment; an experience which perhaps only the theatre can provide.

Slava’s Snowshow will now blow into to Canberra from 3-7 July, and then onto Melbourne from 17-25 July, before finishing the Australian leg of their International tour in Perth from 31 July to 4 August.

For more information see their website: www.slavasnowshow.com

Note: Recommended for children 8 years and over, strictly no admittance to children under 3 years of age.