The most joyful holiday offering for families this season, returning to Toronto for the first time since 2018, this scruffy, charming troupe of clowns will take audiences on a spellbinding adventure, unleashing good-humored chaos amidst enchanting, contemplative moments before roaring to its legendary finale. Audiences young and old alike will be entranced by this wondrous, fantastical production that lends a sense of togetherness and community, making it a must-see show for the holiday season.

“‘Slava’s Snowshow’ has the unique ability to bring out audiences’ inner child, transporting them to a whimsical fantasy world filled of playfulness and wonder, where age doesn’t matter,” says Svetlana Dvoretsky, founder and producer of Toronto-based Show One Productions. “This global sensation has won the hearts of millions of family audiences across the world, myself especially. That’s why we are bringing this endearing show back to our hometown to bring joy and happiness to our fellow Torontonians this holiday season.”

Having been staged over 12,000 times in 225 cities across 40 countries since its inaugural performance in 1993, “Slava’s Snowshow” is a visual and musical extravaganza that presents a dream-like atmosphere overflowing with theatrical magic and over-the-top antics. The production is set within an absurd and surrealistic world of “idiots on the loose,” a work of art in which each scene paints a picture: an unlikely shark swimming in a misty sea; performers and the audience tangled up in a gigantic spider’s web; heartbreaking goodbyes with a coat rack on a railway platform; and an out-of-this-world snowstorm that’s sure to leave audiences spellbound.

“Slava’s Snowshow” is the recipient of more than 20 international awards, including an Olivier award for Best Entertainment, a Drama Desk Award and a Tony nomination. In addition to widespread public acclaim, the production is a darling with critics who have declared it “a thing of rare theatrical beauty not to be missed” (London Daily Telegraph), “a meditation on lost souls and a red-nose spectacle with heart” (Toronto Globe and Mail), “one of the most innocent and simply beautiful pieces of theater” (Herald Sun) and “Dazzling! Guaranteed to make even the glum thaw with happiness” (The Observer) with the New York Times confessing, “my heart leapt… [‘Snowshow’] induces waves of giggles and sighs of pleasure” and the Daily Telegraph advising, “if there’s only one show you get to this year, make it ‘Slava’s Snowshow’ and take the whole family.”

Founder Slava Polunin discovered the art of pantomime in high school. As he grew to adulthood, he developed an eccentric version of the form, which he lovingly dubbed “Expressive Idiotism.” From 1979 on, Polunin quickly became a fixture on stages and TV, sharing his gifts and continuing to redefine the art of clowning with his poetic and poignant approach to comic performance. From 1993 to 1995, Polunin was a featured performer in Cirque du Soleil, and created characters and clown numbers for the production’s touring “Alegria” show. Polunin’s creative capability would reach its zenith with “Slava’s Snowshow,” which burst onto world stages at the 1996 Edinburgh Festival to universal praise and admiration. Since its debut, the work has toured constantly, introducing new audiences and generations to its world of dreams, fantasies and childlike wonder. In 2000, Polunin acquired the Moulin Jaune near Paris (also known as the Yellow Watermill) and developed a unique creative laboratory there, open to all artistic disciplines.

CREDITS

For Slava Snow Show
Created and staged by Slava Polunin

Actors:

• Robert Saralp
• Dima Merashchi
• Bradford West
• Oleg Lugovskoy
• Georgiy Deliyev
• Nikolai Terentiev
• Christopher Lynam
• Jaime Rebollo

Staff:

• Vanya Yaropolskiy – Technical director
• Alistair Kerslake – Sound
• Alexander Pecherskiy, Rebecca Lore – Lights
• Eerika Yaropolskiy – Company manager
• Gwenael Allan – Ambassador

For Show One Productions:

• Svetlana Dvoretsky – Founder, President & Producer
• Natasha Abramova – Associate Producer, Operations
• Andrey Mazuruc – Production Manager

Media Relations, Marketing and Advertising:

Carol Fox and Associates

• Carol Fox, Margo Hawk, Todd Rossi, Nick Harkin, Will Gaudet, Elizabeth Looby, Hannah Braun

Public Relations

• Suzanne Cheriton

Special Thanks to our Media Sponsors:

• Classical 96.3FM
  and
• Zoomer Media

Recommended for ages 8+

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