★★★★

“funny and innocent theatre”

If you are looking for the most delightful, happy Festive show for everyone to enjoy then look no further – Slava’s Snow Show has arrived at the Harold Pinter Theatre, in a welcome return to the West End.

Asissai the clown (Slava Polunin) shuffles out onto the stage dragging a long rope, wearing his now iconic baggy yellow onesie and huge fluffy red slippers, his drooping red plum nose, white mad hair and beard and sad hollow eyes – and then, with a pantomime sigh that shudders through his whole body, so begins this curious, nonsensical, funny theatrical experience like no other.

Slava is soon joined by a younger doubleganger and in tiny, mirrored movements the show takes flight. A green clad clown wearing a wide propeller shaped hat and traditional long clown shoes arrives and bows low and disappears. Then another and another green clad clown, until there are five identical green clad clowns in a row, apart from the fact that they are all very different heights – from small to very, very, tall!

They are all beautiful, yes, this quirky magnificent seven are all truly beautiful characters, and it is funny and innocent theatre.

Just go with Slava’s Snow Show, and let the performances gently wash over you, as scene by scene these mime clowns discover little and bigger balloons, bubble machines, human size snow globes, a sailboat, and even a giant cobweb that closes the first act.

The second act is not quite as seamless as the first but there is a wonderful scene with the younger doubleganger Slava, continually sliding off a chair as he tries to reach for a bottle of wine. Slava/Asissai, as they are one and the same, delivers his famous phone routine with his extraordinary high and low voices speaking in gobbledygook, slightly slows down the magic of his journey with his suitcase, his tender dancing with his coat whilst it hangs on a coat stand, to his train with smoking chimney hat, hurtling towards the magnificent snowstorm show finale.

With a recorded soundtrack of traditional Russian folk tunes, sound effects, soprano singing coming out of one of the green clowns, the theme tune of Chariots of Fire to Carmina Burana, the music fits the astounding action on stage throughout.

The cast, other than Slava Polunin’s Asissai, remain nameless, even in the programme they are not even mentioned. These anonymous artistes are truly top-class classical clowns – who are indeed, truly otherworldly creatures with no names.

I saw Slava’s Snow Show some 30 years ago when it was first created by Slava Polunin – and there are moments that I have never forgotten. Those scenes are still some of the most magical and theatrical coupe de théâtres to behold. I am not going to even try to describe those special effects in Slava’s Snow Show as it would take away some of the joy for a first timer to the show.

However, with so many of the audience filming during the finale and with today’s social media, I fear how much longer Slava’s Snow Show’s secrets will stay safe.

The audience leaves with a gentle other worldly smile on their face, having experienced clowning magic.

A CHORAL CHRISTMAS

Sinfonia Smith Square

★★★★

“a strong and heart-warming performance by all”

There is nothing that heralds Christmas more than a joyous classical choral music concert, and A Choral Christmas, in the beautiful Smith Square Hall, was just that. Performed by the youthful emerging musicians of both Sinfonia Smith Square and National Youth Voices, energetically conducted by Nicholas Chalmers.

The programme was full of traditional and contemporary carols and music with festive themes; with welcome opportunities for the audience to join in, including the opening carol Unto Us Is Born A Son.

The programme started perhaps with too many slow carols including Judith Weir’s ethereal The Guardian Angels and the wistful melody of John Ireland’s The Holy Boy. But then came Matthew Martin’s joyful Novo Profusi Gaudio. The colourful and exuberant music with its memorable motifs and rhythmic phrases saw all on stage relax into an evening of festive joy.

Baritone, Dominic Sedgwick, joined the concert singing the solo in Gerald Finzi’s In Terra Pax, serenely telling the Nativity story, making it a very attractive piece to close the first half of the programme.

The evening was top heavy with John Rutter, but no one was complaining – least of all me! The second act opened with Rutter’s sprightly Shepherd’s Pipe Carol – the carol became a modern classic whilst he was still an undergraduate at Cambridge.

Ralph Vaughan Williams quintessentially English folk Fantasia on Christmas Carols conjures up a merry vision of a rustic village covered in a blanket of snow. With other hidden Christmas carols in the orchestral setting and warmth in the voices, it was a strong and heart-warming performance by all, especially from the sinfonia’s string sections and Sedgwick’s strong baritone.

The pace slowed again with the bleakness of winter and a troubled world in Errollyn Wallen’s Peace on Earth. The slowly spinning ostinato on solo harp over which the voices sing is a difficult carol to convey, especially when the harpist, beautifully played by Chris Clarke, is so far away from the choir.

Then it’s non-stop John Rutter to the end, with his The Twelve Days of Christmas – and the audience standing to sing “five gold rings” and quickly sitting down as the next verse begins, to ready themselves to repeat the line and action again! Fast on its heels comes O Holy Night, followed by the audience, choir and sinfonia joyously singing Joy to the World.

One housekeeping note: maybe don’t allow a baby/toddler into a classical concert, especially if it is being recorded for a wider audience to enjoy. Luckily, said sprog had either fallen asleep or been taken home, by the start of the second act. And my only other gripe was a staging note: if you have a young soprano soloist, keep her on stage in her spotlight for the whole song. Do not let her walk off back to the choir halfway through the song and be lost. Let her have her moment centre stage, and enjoy the immediate applause for her, at the end of the carol.

A Choral Christmas was recorded tonight for broadcast on Classic FM on 22 December – so everyone can enjoy pure Christmas in a concert, which this is.

SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW

Harold Pinter Theatre

★★★★

“funny and innocent theatre”

SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW

Harold Pinter Theatre

Reviewed on 18th December 2025

by Debbie Rich

Photography by Veronique Vial

Previously reviewed at this venue:

SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW

SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW

SLAVA’S SNOWSHOW

A CHORAL CHRISTMAS

Sinfonia Smith Square

★★★★

“a strong and heart-warming performance by all”