Slava’s Snowshow

It might be a bit early for Christmas, but this really is one of the best seasonal shows around – a whimsical blur of laughter, awe, and magic that has already been seen by more than 12 million theatregoers in80 countries around the world, including a near sellout run at Dubai Opera last year. So far it has clocked up more than 25 international awards (among them a West End Laurence Olivier award for Best Entertainment, a Drama Desk Award in New York, and a Broadway Tony nomination).

It’s also wowed the critics: “the most fun in the theatre you will ever experience” (The Guardian) and “a thing of rare theatrical beauty not to be missed” (Daily Telegraph). The New York Times came up with “simply thrilling … unmissable … induces waves of giggles and sighs of pleasure”. And the Financial Times gave us “Slava’s Snowshow achieved something I’ve rarely seen: a spontaneous eruption of playful energy which lifted the entire audience in a bubble of pure delight. Magic!” All of which is spot on.

Essentially it’s a group of clowns wearing green and one wearing yellow, in “a celebration of winter and snow”. But Slava Polunin, the show’s creator, has created something special from the fabric of dreams and fairy tales in a kaleidoscope of events, colours, sounds, “spaces” and “times”; combining breathtaking visuals, immersive stagecraft, and the famous snowstorm finale, it usually deloivers an unforgettable experience for audiences of all ages. As Variety put it, “Slava’s Snowshow is to clowning what Cirque du Soleil is to the circus … Slava’s Snowshow is as theatrical as it is simple, as involving as it is inspiring”.

It runs from 14 to 26 October with a break in the middle. Most shows start at 7pm, but there are weekend matinées; weekends carry a price premium, incidentally. The schedule:

Tue 14 Oct 7.30pm from AED 200
Wed 15 Oct 7.30pm from AED 200
Thu 16 Oct 7.30pm from AED 200
Fri 17 Oct 8.00pm from AED 250
Sat 18 Oct 4pm and 8pm from AED 250
Sun 19 Oct 4pm and 8pm from AED 250

Wed 22 Oct 7.30pm from AED 200
Thu 23 Oct 7.30pm from AED 200
Fri 24 Oct 4pm and 8.00pm from AED 250
Sat 25 Oct 4pm and 8pm from AED 250
Sun 26 Oct 2pm and 6pm from AED 250