Royal Concert Hall, Nottingham – until Sunday 2nd November 2025
Reviewed by Chris Jarvis
5*****
“You just had to be there!”
No words can describe the performance I have just seen! Yet I can’t stop the words buzzing around my brain – mesmerising, exciting, exceptional, spectacular and totally brilliant! How could a performance with no words elicit such feelings, thoughts and emotions?
Onto the simple stage set appears Assissiai – a very sad-looking clown wearing a baggy bright yellow ‘onesie’ and huge red furry slippers plodding slowly along, pulling a rope to the tranquil sound of La Petite Fille de la Mer (Vangelis) stimulating the emotions from the outset.
It’s impossible to describe the theme or story. To describe it as a series of sketches, doesn’t express the immersive, extravagant, emotional experience given by these 7 clowns. I felt immediately drawn into their world of mime with every expression, movement, stance and sound sharing an emotion in such depth. There was humour from the outset with the ridiculous wide, wire brimmed hats worn by the other 6 clowns requiring them to tilt their heads when passing each other. Although impossible to pick the best bit, I absolutely loved Assissiai’s hilarious but moving relationship with an overcoat! Neither sound particularly funny as written – you just had to be there!
When asked to review Slava’s Snowshow I had absolutely no idea what to expect so I visited https://slavasnowshow.com/en/about-the-show :-
“Snowshow is a universal and timeless theatrical poetic spectacle which has unanimously enchanted and empowered the imagination of audiences and critics since 1993 in dozens of countries, hundreds of cities with multiple thousand performances resulting in millions of ecstatic spectators from all nationalities, genders, beliefs, types and ages, probably like no other show.
Russian performance artist, Slava Polunin created Assissiai in nearly 50 years ago. He became known for his iconic yellow suit and melancholic yet childlike demeanour and performed the many different character faces of Assissiai alone. Slava then had the idea that each facet of his persona could be a separate character and introduced a team of clowns, each a different size, shape and personality, but all dressed alike in ridiculous green costumes.
Tonight, the clowns were played by Artem Zhimo, Vanya Polunin, Francesco Bifano, Chris Lynam, Aelita West and Bradford West. At 75 Slava no longer performs though his son Vanya plays a clown – who knows which as they apparently swap characters. They were all amazing!
Assissiai is the central figure in Slava’s Snowshow and along with the 6 other clowns takes the audience on a whimsical and imaginative journey filled with quiet, pensive moments and joyous, snow-filled spectacles. Tragedy becomes comedy and sadness turns to joy in a magical way.
There were many children in the audience (age guidance 8+ though many were younger) who giggled, chuckled and laughed aloud at the silliness, while subdued “aaah’s” and silence accompanied the sorrowful times. Both adults and children get caught up in the irresistible spiral of silliness transporting adults back to their carefree childhood memories. There is no beginning or end. The transformation of the audience just happens where normally sensible people happily regress to the wonder and joy they felt as children.
I was immersed in the sound that seemed to surround the audience and totally enhanced the endless kaleidoscope of fun happening on stage. Music was perfectly chosen to intensify the emotion on stage using themes such as the powerful Chariots of Fire (Vangelis) and melodic Moonlight Sonata (Beethoven).
If you nip out for a drink or ice cream in the interval, hurry back as the clowns are keen to interact in their gentle, kind way! The performance culminates in the most exciting way I have ever experienced, so don’t leave early! It defies description, as does the whole show, and the spectacular ending would be spoilt by trying to describe it.
No-one wanted to leave – not even the clowns! I’m back tomorrow night with my granddaughter for another night of pure fun.
