FRIEND OR SNOW?

Constant Reader, it has been a Hell of a week.

A very good friend whose fortunes in love and life have gone south has been needing some close attention and a shoulder to cry on (literally). This listening dodge is tough - listening for clues in every word he says while mentally formulating a plan to get back to the same statement 3 questions down the line so he can see it in a new light without seeming to do so. You follow?

On Wednesday matters took a turn for the worse with an action which could be read as "A Cry For Help" or "Playing To The Peanut Gallery" all depending on your empathy levels.
However in remembering how some friends gave me so much support after The B**** Affair I guess I am now putting it back out into the world and doing what I can for this lost lamb.

So how to up one's exhaustion levels? By FINALLY getting to see the life-enhancing joy that is SLAVA'S SNOW SHOW showing this week at Wimbledon Theatre.

Slava Polunin premiered this show in London 13 years ago and it has returned again and again at the Peacock Theatre, the Old Vic, the Piccadilly Theatre, Hackney Empire etc. and countless regional theatres. In between he has taken the show across the world to huge acclaim and earning audiences love wherever he appears. After seeing several scenes from "Snow Show" in the Cirque de Soleil's ALEGRIA earlier this year I was curious to see it's creator after remembering that quite a few people had been blown away by it on previous visits so when I saw Slava was touring again I leapt at the chance to see him.

I am so glad we did, was I in need of two hours of pure alloyed joy - and I usually can't stand clowns - but then Slava is no ordinary clown.

From the opening moments you are hooked by him - with his oversized yellow jumpsuit, fluffy red shoes and scarf - and his odd sidekicks in long green overcoats, over-sized shoes and odd hats. The packed audience were laughing within minutes with the kids roaring at the slapstick moments. There were so many incidental pleasures as well as the big moments that's it's hard to remember them all but I remember in particular the moments when Slava was alone on stage interacting with the audience, his smallest gesture speaking volumes. Under a lot of the show was a wistful feeling of melancholy which makes for some surprisingly heart-catching moments - Slava's tall sidekick walks off upset so Slava does a bit of cleaning up then turns and looks hopefully towards the wings but his friend doesn't come back. Blackout. Sob. It was unsurprising to see Beckett's name among Slava's early inspirations - the strange otherness of the world he creates on stage would be right up Sam's street.

But above all there's just pure joy. The first act ended with the whole of the stalls being covered by a stringy gossamer spider web and the famous closing coup de theatre (although seen already at ALEGRIA) was fantastic.. bright lights shone into the audience as a blast of cold air blows tons of paper snow out into the whole auditorium as Slava swirls around on the stage - utterly magical and the perfect release of energy. The fun then continues when the sidekicks appear on stage with huge balloons that are passed over into the audience to be bounced all over the auditorium, not since the National Theatre's GUYS AND DOLLS have I seen an audience so tingling with joy - and during all this there was Slava, sitting on the steps by the stage watching the audience with a big grin. It was a honour to shake his hand. Come back soon Mr. Slava!