Review: Slava’s Snow Show (Touring)

Wednesday 19th November 2025 at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, York

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Slava’s Snow Show is quite simply a joy. It’s an experience, celebrating all the best that theatre can be when it’s at its most free and expressive. Possibly best described as being enveloped in a dream world of surreal creativity, the show is an imaginative, highly theatrical extravaganza. I first saw it around fifteen years ago, and I’m pleased to say that while there have been some tweaks over time, the show has lost none of its magic.

Asissai (the wonderful Vanya Polunin) leads the show with wordless but expressive performance – accompanied at all times by catchy, charming music. A gaggle of lovable clowns (Artem Zhimo, Francesco Bifano, Chris Lynam, Nikolai Terentiev, Yuri Musatov, Aelita West and Bradford West) arrive and depart in entertaining flurries, creating mischief before skipping off into the wings with glee, leaving Asissai behind to react in the aftermath of their foolery, which is so often beautifully unexpected and always entertaining.

With no script in terms of dialogue and emphasis almost entirely on physical performance, the show is a masterclass in the art of clowning and physical theatre. Every gesture, every movement and every quivering facial expression carries meaning, but the meaning is never fully defined – that’s for our imaginations to decide. Polunin is an adorable presence with a child-like gentleness and sense of innocence; a vision of bright yellow and red playfully making his way through an ever changing landscape.

At times the general tone feels cosmic; at others we are at sea or in liminal space with limitless opportunities ahead of us. There’s a lot of joy along the way, but it’s also worth noting the beauty of more poignant and darker moments, all of which highlight the impressive capabilities of wordless performance. And then of course there’s the now-famous snow storm, giant cobweb and giant balloons to look forward to – the Snow Show really is a theatrical experience like no other.

And Slava Polunin is the creative heartbeat of this show in all areas: creation, staging, costume design and special effects are all credited directly to him, but he’s also credited with direction and scenography, alongside Viktor Kramer, and music, alongside Roman Dubinnikov. It’s no wonder then, that while the performance has no discernible narrative thread running through it, it has a beautiful fluidity and sense of precise vision.

Spend a few hours with Asissai and his pals and you’ll feel ten years younger – it’s a treat for all the family, but especially for those who love theatre, and those who love surprising, anything-goes, highly visual theatre most of all. Go if you can!

Slava’s Snow Show is at the Grand Theatre and Opera House, York until November 2025 – more information and tickets can be found here.