Slava’s SnowShow: A Festive Favourite Returns to London
Slava Polunin’s extraordinary SnowShow lands at the Harold Pinter Theatre this Christmas—less holiday tradition, more theatrical blizzard.
Slava Polunin’s SnowShow is back, and it’s as strange and enchanting as ever. This December, the Harold Pinter Theatre will host the internationally acclaimed production, with performances running from 18 December 2024 to 12 January 2025. For those lucky enough to be in Sunderland or Brighton, there are earlier dates to catch this wonder on tour.
Describing SnowShow to the uninitiated is almost impossible. Yes, there’s clowning, yes, there’s theatre, but nothing about it feels ordinary. At its core is Asisyai, Polunin’s timeless clown, a yellow-coated dreamer who seems to have stepped straight out of a half-forgotten childhood memory. But this isn’t just a show for nostalgia-seekers. It’s bold, unpredictable, and at times, utterly surreal. One moment you’re laughing at its slapstick brilliance; the next, you’re swept up—sometimes literally—in an emotional snowstorm that leaves you breathless.
Londoners know SnowShow. From the Royal Festival Hall to The Old Vic, it’s been as much a part of Christmas as mince pies, though considerably less predictable. For nearly a decade, it held court at the Festival Hall, earning its reputation as a crowd-pleaser without ever feeling formulaic.
This year’s run at the Harold Pinter Theatre promises all the magic fans love, but with fresh surprises for those returning. Polunin treats SnowShow as a living, breathing thing, tweaking and evolving it year after year. It’s this constant reinvention that keeps audiences coming back and critics on their toes.
Slava Polunin: A Maverick Who Speaks Without Words
Polunin began his career in the Soviet Union, where his character Asisyai became a national icon almost overnight. But while he could have rested on that fame, he was already dreaming of something bigger. By the 1980s, he was leading Leningrad’s first mime parades and reimagining what theatre could be.
In 1994, he brought SnowShow to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the world took notice. From there, it toured over 30 countries, winning more than 20 international awards, including an Olivier. Polunin credits London as the place where the show truly found its feet. “The city gave my work its wings,” he has said—a rare but apt metaphor for a production that often feels like it’s defying gravity.
Why You Can’t Miss It
Calling SnowShow a Christmas tradition feels reductive, but it’s true that it’s a seasonal fixture for good reason. Unlike the usual holiday fare, this show doesn’t rely on nostalgia or sugarcoated endings. It’s funny, yes, but also deeply human—full of quiet moments that surprise you with their poignancy.
And then there’s the snowstorm. No matter how much you’ve heard about it, nothing prepares you for the sheer scale of it, or the way it makes you feel like a kid again. The paper snow flies, the lights dim, and for a moment, you’re not in a theatre anymore.
Show Details
- Title: Slava’s SnowShow
- Venue: Harold Pinter Theatre, London
- Dates: 18 December 2024 – 12 January 2025
- Other UK Performances: Sunderland and Brighton
- Ticket Prices: Starting at £20 (family tickets, must be booked as a bundle of 4 or more) – book here
- General Tickets : from £24.50, book here
Elena Leo is the Arts & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
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