Review: Fiddler on the Roof at The Theatre Royal

Review by Scott Whitmont

This reviewer has seen more performances of the iconic Fiddler on the Roof that he can count. “Here we go again, another hackneyed old musical resurrected,” I thought when receiving the invitation to Director, Jordan Fein’s new production at the Theatre Royal. 

I could not have been more wrong. There is a freshness, an energy and an originality about this production of Fiddler which makes it the most memorable I have seen.

Since 1964, Fiddler on the Roof has charmed audiences, running a record-breaking 3,000+ performances on Broadway. Set in Tsarist Russia of 1905, the story of the pious milkman, Tevye grappling with societal change; his wife Golde; and the people of the Ukrainian village of Anatevka, has touched the hearts of millions with its universal themes of family, community, tradition and resilience.

One is immediately struck by Tom Scutt’s set design. Fields of wheat surround the stage and cover the stylised roof that hovers over it. It moves up and down as needed and, most creatively, later lowers onto the villager’s poles to create the chuppah (canopy) of the wedding scene.

Our eponymous Fiddler (Ben Adler) sits among the tufts and begins the refrain of the well-known show’s overture. A talented violinist of international renown and a local proponent of klezmer music, Adler’s performance can only be described as virtuosic. The ‘Fiddler’ role is expanded in this production. Representing the Jewish ‘tradition’ which is such an all-encompassing linchpin to Tevye and the villagers, Adler is an almost constant presence, playing in almost every scene. He reminds us that no matter what, we are always tied to our traditions and the influences of heritage. In some ways, he is the unintentional star of the show.

Amid the emphatic desires of his wife and five daughters, the troubled Tevye (Troy Sussman) tries, often vainly, to assert his authority as “the Pappa” man of the house. Sussman’s Tevye is full of heart and likeability and though his performance seemed at times a little tentative on opening night, he is sure to settle into the role with emotional command as the season unfolds.

Alexis Fishman as Golde is as sassy, assertive and matriarchal as you would want, charmingly showing her softer side when singing Do You Love Me? with her hapless but devoted Tevye.

There is star power in the cast too. Sigrid Thornton brings humour and just the right amount of ‘chutzpah’ as the determined matchmaker, Yente, while stage veteran John Waters is a congenial Lazar Wolf, foiled at his desire to marry Tevye’s eldest daughter, Tzeitel (Freya Boltman).

It is Tevye’s dream scene in which Boltman brilliantly plays Lazer Wolf’s late-wife Fruma Sara, which arguably, will delight and impress audiences the most. It was met with rapturous applause. 

Funny, dazzling and spirited (pun intended), the exceptional choreography by Julia Cheng is full of propulsive energy and exciting vivacity. The vigour and talent of the bottle dancers during the wedding scene and the Russians in the Inn when Tzeitel’s engagement is announced, are also truly memorable.

Jerry Bock’s music and Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics so perfectly express the hopes and dreams of the villagers. The way the score is presented by Musical Director Dominic Woodhead and the band under his and Brendan Murtagh’s direction could not be more sonorous. As they would have said in Anatevka, the cast vocals have true ‘koach’ or great might, particularly the female leads of Fishman and her elder stage daughters Bolton, Ellen Ebbs (Hodel) and Caity Plummer (Chava), who surprises with equal mastery of the clarinet in Little Bird.

As their love interests, Motel (Felix Star), Perchik (Maxwell Simon) and Fyedka (Jacob Steen) are convincingly likeable and vocally adept.

There is an overall magnetism to this production, with its cast delivering Fiddler’s many memorable songs with intimacy and deep emotion. It is nigh impossible not to be deeply moved by Sabbath Prayer and the final Anatevka, as they say their goodbyes, forced to leave the home they love.

In this profoundly troubling time of growing antisemitism, the shutting out of Jewish stories and the displacement of people around the world, Fiddler on the Roof is indeed still supremely relevant. 

“One season following another, laden with happiness and tears…” 

It reminds us that family, community, tradition and joy will always endure despite haters and persecution. What better thought could we wish to be left with?

Image Credit: Daniel Boud