Slava’s Snowshow

Published Friday 30 January 2004 at 17:20 by Dominic Martin

It was with a certain irony that the Empire chose to celebrate its reopening with a snow show, the very day that a blizzard hit the capital, causing guests to be late and delay the start of the festivities. Returning to the venue 16 years after his first visit, Russian clown Slava Polunin brings a meticulously choreographed display that shows off the Empire’s potential to its full.

While perhaps not to everyone’s taste, Polunin’s distinctly east European style of mime is without doubt highly accomplished. The veteran clown’s comic timing is meticulous and the visual gags and technical effects are often outstanding. The series of surreal skits, of which this show entirely consists, ranges from the highly original to the, at times, predictable and tedious. Having said that, Polunin works the audience skilfully and Roman Dubinnikov’s haunting music helps draws you into his weird, slow-motion world.

Those fearing audience participation should steer well clear of the front rows, particularly at the interval, when several unsuspecting victims were variously dragged on stage, drenched in water and clambered upon by ludicrously large clown feet.

The finale, a blinding, breathtaking snow storm, takes the breath away and the post-show inflatable ball throwing extravaganza, in which every audience member partakes, leaves you feeling like a schoolkid again. The reborn Empire looks magnificent and this kind of strange spectacle fits it like a glove.