Slava's Snowshow
AS the first icy breath of winter blew in, it was appropriate that Slava’s Snowshow should arrive not far behind.
Russian clown and mime artist Slava Polunin brought his highly-acclaimed and hilarious production back to The Lowry after a M.E.N. award-winning debut at the same venue two years ago.
Don’t expect custard pie being thrust into faces, drum-rolls or water-squirting flowers, this a more subtle, more poignant side of the artistry of those dwindling band of men with red noses, long faces and even longer shoes.
Slava and his clowning friends create a imaginary, low-tech world through a series of daft and bizarre set-pieces that float by like dreams, sometimes eerie, mostly delightfully funny and always breathtakingly beautiful.
There’s no story, save a cobweb of themes to do with a journey or the passage of time, but each individual segment has comedy and sensitivity and builds to a blizzard of delight at the end when Slava’s wintry world is literally blasted over the audience.
Trickle
Before the show started, a trickle of giggles flowed round the auditorium as children played with the ticker tape ‘snow’ which littered the floor. There would be plenty more where that came from before the night was over.
Clowning isn’t really an entertainment form most kids are familiar with nowadays.
All right, there might be a slice of physical theatre on children’s TV now and again, but it is a far cry from a generation ago when silent movies still flickered into life regularly on the box and youngsters appreciated the skills of Charlie Chaplin and Buster Keaton.
My children (seven and eight) were a bit non-plussed at first when the white-haired clown in a baggy yellow romper suit who didn’t say a word waddled on to the stage. But Slava’s subtle magic soon worked on their latent imaginations and they became captivated by his every move.
Lurched
The expert lighting, varied music – which lurched between classical, swing, klezmer and Slava’s own ethereal compositions – and minimal props combined with a stark set to spotlight the performers clowning talents.
My favourite scenes were ever-optimistic Slava and his lily-livered, greatcoat-wearing companion setting off to sea over a stage of dry ice on a bedstead boat with a sheet for a sail; his almost-balletic dying swan scene; and Slava’s tearful station platform farewell to a jacket on a coat stand where his skilful miming made the clothing come alive in such a touching way.
And Slava is not shy at turning his clowning on the audience during the show, while at the end – without giving too much away – the stalls are the only place to be in a spectacular, truly hands-on finale.
But as they headed off into the bitterly frozen night, I’m sure each member of the audience, from the Upper Circle down, nurtured a warm glow which had been sparked by that sad-faced clown.
Slava’s Snowshow runs in The Lowry's Lyric Theatre until Saturday November 1. Call 0870 787 5780.
Reviewed: Wed, 29 October, 2008
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