Fiddler on the Roof ★★★★★ Regent's Park Open Air Theatre | Jul 27 - Sep 21, 2024


This is simply a first-rate production of the 1964 Broadway musical based on Sholem Aleichem's story of Tevye, the Jewish milkman with five daughters, who reluctantly comes to terms with some new views about love and marriage. Set in Russian Ukraine around 1905, the life for poor, Jewish people is hard but what holds the community together is tradition. However, change is on the horizon. Where once the matchmaker proposed a spouse, the father approved him and the marriage took place, Tevye now finds himself caught between children who have their own ideas about how such things should be settled and an Almighty who doesn't seem to understand his plight. Nevertheless, in a good-hearted and humorous fashion he generally finds his way to deal with his tribulations. In a role that has been played by some extremely notable performers, Adam Dannheisser is a quite splendid Tevye. It is a role that is easily overplayed, but Dannheisser gets it just right. His rendition of "If I Were A Rich Man" nicely combines the plaintive and the stoic, and the duet, "Do You Love Me?" with Lara Pulver as Golde, his more practical wife, is touching without ever being mawkish. Just as the fiddler embodies the spirit of the village, the spirit of the show is Tevye and this is a performance that makes it work. Also putting in some fine performances are Liv Andrusier, Georgia Bruce and Hannah Bristow as the three elder daughters and Dan Wolff, Daniel Krikler and Gregor Milne as the prospective sons-in-law. Director Jordan Fein has wisely respected his material and draws the best from it rather than trying to 'freshen it up.' Julia Cheng produces some breathtaking choreography, and the sequence with the balanced bottles deserves its ovation. Full marks also to Tom Scutt for his simple, but expressive, set design and to Nick Lidster for ensuring the sound quality is perfect in this challenging outdoor space. Given the current Palestinian situation, the rather dark conclusion of the show takes on a lot of unanticipated overtones, but the show's ultimate celebration of the resilience of the human spirit still leaves the theatregoer sharing Tevye's relentless optimism and hopefulness.

Rated: ★★★★★

Reviewed by J.C.
Photo by Marc Brenner

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When, Where, Getting there:
Map & Location: The Regent's Park, Inner Cir, London NW1 4NU, UK

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