In Conversation With Vanya Polunin Ahead Of Slava’s Snow Show Coming To Yorkshire

Conducting an interview surrounded by clowns in full costume is something that I am not normally accustomed to; as I chatted to Vanya, son of Slava Polunin, the creator of Slava’s Snow Show, his fellow clowns were fooling around in the background. 

32 years after its inception and thousands of performances, which have seen it dazzle everywhere from Beijing to Bogota, the touring troupe of clowns are getting ready to arrive in Yorkshire.

In addition to the fun aspect of the show, its enduring success is due to its appeal to all ages and its ability to engage the audience in an interactive and sometimes surprising experience where anything can happen next.

Slava’s Snow Show is a visual and musical extravaganza that offers a dreamlike vision that overflows with theatrical magic and humorous antics. The production is set within an absurd and surrealistic world of ‘fools on the loose’, a work of art in which each scene paints a picture: an unlikely shark swimming in a misty sea; clowns and the audience tangled up in a gigantic spider’s web; heartbreaking goodbyes with a coat rack on a railway platform; audience members hypnotised by giant balloons; and an out-of-this-world snowstorm that leaves audiences spellbound.

“The show keeps evolving. When my dad first started the show, there were only two clowns in the production – that has now grown to seven clowns on stage. Every day is different, as we all switch roles, which keeps it exciting for ourselves and the audience too,” explained Vanya.

“We have people coming to see the show every year; we had a couple who actually met each other at one of our shows, and now they come back every year with their children when we are in their town. At the end of the performance everyone leaves with a smile on their face.”

The cast perform in a wintry setting (expect the use of Snow White confetti, for example), honouring the old school clowning traditions and expressing matters without any dialogue but with a pronounced mime element, which Vanya thinks is why this makes the show so successful. 

“The show is timeless – we don’t make reference to any current events; we are not in the now. Instead, we use emotions like happiness, sadness and love. These all existed hundreds of years ago and hopefully in the future too – people can relate to them.”

Coupled with a soundtrack which features everything from the evocative Vangelis’ Chariots of Fire to the samba rhythms of Jorge Ben Jor’s Mas, Que Nada to the atmospheric Beethoven’s Piano Sonata No. 14 and dramatic O Fortuna from Carmina Burana, Slava’s Snow Show is beautifully orchestrated throughout.

“My dad tried to use the best music he could that would fit into the show. Our sound designer is part of the show; we leap around a lot on stage, so he has to be on his toes to improvise with us.”

The show culminates with a wind-driven snowstorm that engulfs the audience; I wondered what the cleanup process might involve. “Luckily it’s not us. The biggest comment we see in the videos of the snowstorm is ‘the poor person who has to clean the debris all up’. 

Vanya is excited about returning back to Yorkshire and, in particular, appearing at Bradford Live. “We were last in Bradford in 2007, so we are looking forward to coming back. I hope the audiences will enjoy the show, as it is an unforgettable experience that will sprinkle a little magic and remind the audience of the joy in being wonderfully silly. If you need uplifting or have a friend going through hard times, people will come away with a smile on their faces. "I think it really doesn’t matter who you are; if you have kids or a family, you can even bring a date to the show if you want—the show is for young and old alike."

York, Grand Opera House, November 19 – 23
Bradford, Bradford Live, November 27 – 30

https://slavasnowshow.com/en/future-tours/