Fiddler on the Roof [Barbican]

Review by James

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Coming off a remarkable award-winning run at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre last summer, it was unclear whether this glorious celebration of Jewish shtetl culture – now lost to the horrors of history – would be able to transition to the awkward indoor dimensions of the Barbican. From the moving opening bars of a lone fiddler atop a suspended wheat field, it was clear that great care had been put into Fiddler’s new confines.

Fiddler remains a powerful musical with a memorable and rich score and a vital message about persecution and prejudice. Long since its 1964 Broadway debut, the story carries just as much relevance to today’s audiences.

Set in the fictional shtetl of Anatevka, the story is driven by the universal themes of maintaining tradition and generational conflict set against the historic backdrop of Tsarist Russia’s pogroms. At its heart, the musical presents audiences and the creative team with a challenging balance between the celebration of community and impending horror – no easy feat but one comfortably achieved.

Milkman Tevye – played masterfully again by an understated and wise-quipping Adam Dannheisser – and Golde (Lara Pulver) are parents to five daughters challenging the customs and beliefs of their elders as their village falls prey to the violence of the era.

The ageless showstoppers Tradition, Matchmaker, and If I Were A Rich Man are utterly joyous and delivered by a company clearly relishing every moment. The Dream is hilariously reimagined, and the iconic bottle dance sequence remains exhilarating.

The Barbican’s dimensions do cause a few issues for those in the upper tier due to occasional viewing restrictions, most notably the wedding scene, but it’s the absence of Regent’s Park outdoor setting and its descending nightfall which lessens some of the foreboding in the harrowing final portion.

Miracle of Miracles, Fiddler will shortly be setting off on a UK tour. To Life!