After The Applause

Fiddler On The Roof is a classic film that I have never seen so going into this I had absolutely no idea on the story, on the genre and on the music. I was prepared to go in with no research to allow me to navigate my way through the story and never know what was coming next. It really worked, the whole production blossoms into life on the large blank canvas of the Barbican stage.

As you enter the Barbican Centre’s huge theatrical space, you are greeted with a dominating metal curtain hiding away the stage behind its bars. I sit in my seat waiting for it to be lifted to see what it is hiding from me! What it was hiding was one of the most energetic and joyful musical revivals I have seen in a while.

Right from the start we are mesmerised by the sensational stage design by Tom Scutt, a field of wheat is illuminated by Aideen Malone’s warm lighting as The Fiddler plays his first tune. Raphael Papo is absolutely brilliant, not only in the way he plays the instrument but also his facial expressions which match each and every note he plays and his ability to act whilst leading the melody of the orchestra. The field rises as The Fiddler is now on the roof and Adam Dannheisser marches onto stage as Tevye and begins his monologue to the tune of the fiddle.

The singing is fantastic, each and every member of that cast is full of character and energy not only in the way they move and interact but also the way they sing, which is a rather masterful thing to be able to do. During ‘Tradition’ they intertwine and create the feeling of a bustling small Jewish town in Russia, and then similarly in the finale of he first act (The Wedding) they all play their part in a joyous traditional wedding. The most fundamental part of a joyful, vibrant musical is to have an equally energetic ensemble and that is exactly what we have.

Dannheisser is absolutely flawless as Tevye, he is funny yet also scary and we see and hear every single emotion he feels. I felt like getting up and dancing during ‘If I were a rich man’ as he prances around the stage, he really steals the show in every way for me. ‘Golde’ is played by Lara Pulver who is perfect as his stern wife who is convinced completely by his ludicrous dream. The dream was my favourite scene, I was in absolute tears of laughter during it, it was so well directed and staged. His 3 main daughters Hodel, Chava and Tzeitel are a trio of force with superb chemistry between the three actresses (Georgia Bruce, Natasha Jules Bernard, Hannah Bristow), each one’s love story is acted out brilliantly with vibrancy in the happy parts of young love and with pain towards the end.

I adored the directorial choice to have Hannah Bristow as Chava, Tevye’s youngest daughter kicked out of the house due to marrying a non-jewish Russian, play the clarinet with The Fiddler. It showed that now Tevye would always have Chava on his roof, playing a sad tune and hoping that one day she would be allowed back in his life. A poignant moment, that added to the dismay and melancholy of the abrupt unhappy ending.

The whole production was vibrant, with some superb choices taken by the director. Jordan Fein which really creates a great revival, however I disagreed with one choice which was to have the ensemble actors sat on chairs within view during the more intimate scenes. Whilst I understood that it was meant to connote the feeling of a lack of privacy in Anatevka the problem I had was that they didn’t do anything or even act, they just looked bored. I thought it would have been wiser to let them relax in their dressing room rather than on the stage, a bizarre choice that just didn’t add the desired effect for me.

MY VERDICT:

If i were a rich man (get the pun!) I would certainly get another ticket to this explosion of joy and tradition on the Barbican stage or even at one of the stages on its UK and Ireland tour (starting soon!!). It is clean and energetic, the two ingredients needed for a lovely night out at the theatre. The ensemble are brilliant, they all play their roles to completion and never run out of energy (I wonder how much coffee they have to have!). Certainly recommended by me, if you love the film and love the performance by Chaim Topol then Dannheisser does not let you down. Tevye guides us through life in his town and I enjoyed every second!