Fiddler on the Roof
★★★★★ Captivating
Festival Theatre: Tue 9 – Sat 13 Sept 2025
Review by Rebecca Mahar
The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre production of Fiddler on the Roof, at the Festival Theatre all week, is a captivating rendition that is sombre, hopeful and humorous, in the best tradition of this classic musical.
Based on the Yiddish stories of Sholen Aleichem, Fiddler on the Roof chronicles a turbulent period in the shtetl of Anatevka, at the turn of the twentieth century, just as the eyes of the Russian authorities fall upon the small Jewish community.
Jodie Jacobs (Golde) and Matthew Woodyatt (Tevye). Pic: Johan Persson.
It is here that Tevye the dairyman (Matthew Woodyatt) lives with his wife Golde (Jodie Jacobs) and their five daughters
Anatevka is a rural, traditional community not far from Kyiv, where its Jewish inhabitants work hard to get by and live peacefully — and in Tevye’s case, provide for the future of his children, including finding them good husbands.
The matchmaker Yente (Beverley Klein) proposes a match between eldest daughter Tzeitel (Natasha Jules Bernard) and the butcher Lazar Wolf (Michael S. Siegel), a well-off man older than Tevye, but Tzeitel is in love with poor Motel Kamzoil (Dan Wolff) the tailor.
upheavals
Breaking faith with Lazar Wolf to allow Tzeitel to marry Motel is the first in a series of upheavals that follow Tevye throughout the play as his daughters exert their independence and the eyes of the Russian authorities fall upon Anatevka.
Matthew Woodyatt (Tevye). Pic: Johan Persson.
From its stunning opening image of the fiddler (Raphael Papo) being raised above the stage in a field of wheat to reveal the ensemble – to its mirrored closing image of defiant endurance, this Fiddler is a triumph. Director Jordan Fein, in collaboration with choreographer Julia Cheng and a powerhouse creative team, has created a Fiddler for the ages that captures the highs, lows, and deep spirituality of the piece.
Woodyatt’s Tevye is the picture of long-suffering good humour, deeply devoted to his family and always ready with a misappropriated wise saying. Woodyatt has superb comic timing, excellent physicality and a gorgeous voice. Most importantly, he never ceases to bare Tevye’s soul, radiating every emotion that strikes the milkman into the theatre from his very pores.
nothing without his family
Tevye carries a heavy load in Fiddler, but is nothing without his family. Woodyatt is perfectly partnered by Jacobs as Golde, her sharp wit and clear command of the household a thin veneer over the loving woman beneath. Jacobs brings a warmth and affectionate sarcasm to Golde, and the deceptively simple Do You Love Me duet between the couple is a high point of the second act.
Hannah Bristow (Chava), Natasha Jules Bernard (Tzeitel), Georgia Bruce (Hodel). Pic: Marc Brenner.
Similarly, the three older daughters: Tzeitel with Hodel (Georgia Bruce) and Chava (Hannah Bristow), are a brilliant trio and utterly convincing in their places in the family, as well as the individuality of each. Their respective love interests: Motel with Perchik (Greg Bernstein) and Fyedka (Gregor Milne), are equally charming, with Wolff earning special points for the endearing awkwardness of his Motel.
The subtle hand of intimacy director Yarit Dor is clearly present in the beautiful and differentiated chemistry that develops between each couple as they navigate the treacherous waters of love against societal expectations. It is all embodied with commitment by these six talented performers.
pops of colour
Aideen Malone’s lighting design is simple and evocative, bringing a sepia tone to the stage that, rather than imagining the events upon it as an old picture or film, lends and air of reality to it that bright colours would not. Nor does it mean the stage and its inhabitants are dull or washed out; contrarily, Malone’s use of shadow and angles, along with the pops of colour in Tom Scott’s set and costumes, fill out the world of the play in a semi-naturalistic way that acknowledges the theatricality of its setting.
Georgia Bruce (Hodel), Daniel Krikler (Perchik). Pic: Marc Brenner.
From the unbridled energy and joy of Hodel and Perchik’s dance, to the spectacular dream sequence with Lazar Wolf’s long-dead wife Fruma-Sarah, to the heartbreak of Tevye’s inner turmoil and the scattering of Anatevka, this Fiddler on the Roof carries the weight of its traditions on broad shoulders that are more than equal to the task.
This is a production that does not shy away from the conflict and horror within its story. It embraces the need for love, for family, and for perseverance in a world where anyone’s future could quickly become as shaky as a fiddler on the roof; laden with happiness and tears.
Running time: Two hours and 40 minutes (including one interval)
Festival Theatre, 13-29 Nicolson St. EH8 9FT
Tue 9 – Sat 13 September 2025
Evenings: 7:30pm; Thurs, Sat mats: 2:30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
Access performances: the 7:30pm performance on the 11th will be captioned; the 2:30pm performance on the 13th will be BSL interpreted and audio described, with a touch tour before the show.
The cast of Fiddler On The Roof. Pic: Marc Brenner.
ENDS
