Picture Marc Brenner

Fiddler on the Roof

The Alexandra Theatre

*****

It came with a big reputation and it will leave with an even bigger one, Fiddler is simply magnificent, magical theatre which will make you laugh, feel and maybe even wipe away a tear or two . . .

It is 1905 and we are in Anatevka, a fictional Jewish shtetl or small town somewhere among the grain fields on the steppes of Ukraine, and our guide is Tevye, the milkman with a wife, five daughters and a horse that seems to be on permanent sick leave.

It is a role created by the late great Zero Mostel, laying down the blueprint for the character for every actor who followed . . . Ya ba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dibba dum

And Tevye knows the Good Book says . . .  well, something about that, after all it says something about everything if only Tevye could remember. Matthew Woodyatt is superb as the poor milkman chatting to God and striving to do the best by his family, his religion and . . . tradition.

The town's Jewish population live by traditions going back to . . . whenever they go back to. The traditions have become rules with the most telling, in Tevye's case, or more that of his daughters, being the ritual practice of marriage arranged, for a fee, by the matchmaker. Love is not even an afterthought, position and wealth being the main considerations in arrangements by the matchmaker, a sort of early, analogue version of Tinder.

It is the way of life and Tevye's three eldest daughter speculate on what sort of match they want singing Matchmaker, matchmaker. 

Matthew Woodyatt as Tevye. Picture: Johan Persson

The village matchmaker was Yente, played wonderfully by Beverley Klein. Yente is also the village gossip and busybody and appears to have a style of matchmaking that seems to find young girls for somewhat older men . . . for a fee. To this end Yente has arranged a marriage for Tzeitel, Tevye's eldest daughter, to Lazar Wolf, a wealthy butcher . . . and a man who is older than Tevye,

Relatively rich, older men are presumably the most profitable in terms of fees in a village where most of the population lived on the breadline - a fiddler on the roof.

The fiddler is a symbol, an attempt to survive, maintain a way of life, as Tevye says: “A fiddler on the roof. Sounds crazy, no? But here in our little village of Anatevka, you might say every one of us is a fiddler on the roof — trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck.”

The scene is now set for two stories, one  cultural, one political. Tevye is facing a coming battle. Tradition dictates the matchmaker arranges marriages but his eldest daughter, played by Natasha Jules  Bernard, has other ideas and pleads with her father to marry the friend she has known all her life, the penniless tailor Motel, played by Dan Wolff with the lovely sort of gawky, self consciousness of a boyfriend with nothing to offer but affection and too afraid of his girlfriend's father's ire to mention . . .marriage.

But times, they are a changing, the old ways are under threat and Tevye relents, persuading his wife Golde of the righteousness of the DIY union by an elaborate dream charade. Jodie Jacobs is a wonderful Golde. While Tevye is a bit of a dreamer with his anthem If I were a rich man, Golde is the practical one, down to earth, witty, sharp tongued and carrying the family through the twin burdens of poverty and tradition.

Roman Lytwyniw as The Fiddlerand Matthew Woodyatt as Tevye.

Picture:Johan Persson

Tradition takes another battering as along comes Greg Bernstein as Perchik fresh from university in Kiev, maintaining an age old tradition of student revolutionary zeal, making him a radical in some eyes. Employed as a teacher by Tevye, with the wages of merely being fed, he clashes with second daughter Hodel, played by Georgia Bruce, over his left wing interpretation of Bible stories, a clash which crosses over into love to create another marriage challenge to tradition and Tevye's authority.

Then there is his third daughter, crossing a line he cannot cross when culture and politics crash into each other. She has fallen for Fyedka, a Russian youth who protected her when she was hounded by other Russian youths, attacks on Jews being commonplace in Imperial Russia.

The Jews are strangers in their own land, only allowed to live in designated areas where they are subject to pogroms, state sponsored attacks with no recriminations, and where whole villages can be displaced, forced to move at a moment's notice on the whim of the Tsar.

The constable, head of the Russian police in the town, played by Karl Wilson, has warned Tevye of such a pogrom, a small one, a tiny demonstration, which had been ordered from above and which arrives during Tzeitel's wedding, with Fyedka found among the attackers - reluctant,  embarrassed and apologising for what is happening.

Jodie Jacobs as Golde. Picture: Johan Persson

While Tevye might have softened on affairs of the heart, daughter Chava, the bookish one, played by Hannah Bristow, is looking to marry outside the faith, with Fyedka, played by Simon Anthony not only a gentile but a Russian, even if he does genuinely despair for the plight of the much sinned against Jews. The line in the sand has been drawn and Tevye forbids his daughter to even speak to Fydeka again – a futile demand as love follows it own faith and the new order leaves Tevye's once unwavering convictions floundering.

Love runs through Fiddler like a thread holding everything together with Tevye and Golde, who had their own arranged marriage, singing Do you love me which starts as a humorous song slowly growing into a touching, romantic and moving expression of their devotion and love which strikes a chord for many long married couples everywhere.

We end with the village upended, banished and forced to move on to . . . who knows where, all by edict of the Tsar. It shows both sadness and the indomitable resilience of a people. It is symbolic of many things. There is persecution of Jews in Tsarist Russia and as Tevye's children scatter to Poland, Siberia and the USA, a sign of tradition breaking down and a new order emerging, while as Tevye and Golde, and the remaining daughters head off with their meagre possessions, with resigned smiles, it symbolises the endurance and strength of the human spirit.

Following Tevye as he leaves, and as he has done throughout, is the mythical Fiddler, showing tradition and heart will always survive, whatever the hardship that has to be endured.

And what a Fiddler we had on Press night, classically trained British-Ukrainian Roman Lytwiniw, a classical soloist, co-orchestra leader and simply exquisite violinist.

The cast is 30 strong in a brilliantly controlled ensemble piece with superb choreography from Julia Cheng, including a fascinating bottle dance, all performed on a set from Tom Scutt with stands of wheat on three sides providing a masterpiece of simplicity. A tremendous 13 strong  orchestra under musical director Livi Van Warmelo – a huge number in touring terms -   is lined up in the dark at the back of the stage.

A huge wheat field roof, with the name Anatevka in Cyrillic style script on its underside, dominates the stage and lowers to provide a traditional canopy for the Jewish wedding while Aideen Malone's lighting adds atmosphere, drama and tension to the storytelling with Nick Lidster's sound design finding a commendable balance.

Despite being set in 1905 it is impossible not to think of contemporary parallels whether it is  where it is set or the sight of man's endless inhumanity to man elsewhere including the Middle East. There is no political message, this is a new, stunning production of a 60-year-old musical, true to its roots, but perhaps beyond that,  isn't part of the role of theatre is not just to entertain, but to make an audience think and question beyond what they see on stage?

This is a must see production for anyone who loves musicals or theatre. It wowed audiences last year at Regent's Park Open Air Theatre and it is easy to see why in a wonderful, joyous production to brighten any gloomy winter's night. One of those genuinely rare, definitely one not to miss productions, it is directed by Jordan Fein and is running to 03-01-26.

Roger Clarke

09-12-25

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