Review

Review

Review: Fiddler On The Roof

The revival of the 1964 classic at the Barbican is an electrifying triumph


Translated from its open-air iteration to fit the Barbican stage, Jordan Fein’s Fiddler On The Roof is still in danger of bursting out of its confines. The revival simmers with energy from start to finish – a large cast represents the boisterous people of Anatevka, and all must be exhausted by the time the curtain comes down (or, as we’re in the Barbican, the stage is once again encased like an egg). Julia Cheng’s phenomenal choreography is full of riotous spirit – Cheng has a knack for making the meticulously choreographed look spontaneous, and the life and movement she imbues the production with make it all the more immersive.

Fiddler does achieve an impressive level of immersion for a proscenium stage – much can be credited to the source material, which manages to make a large cast of characters feel familiar to us in under three hours. Fein’s direction expands on this theme, preferring a busy stage more often than not, with life continuing around whoever happens to be in the spotlight. Tom Scutt’s Olivier-winning design pulls its far share of the weight as well – Anatevka is penned in by thick fields of grain, not just on either side but also from above, cutting the characters off from any world that might exist beyond the village. As the show’s darker themes cut through, it feels all the more pertinent.

Adam Dannheisser as Tevye speaks to us with the warmth and wit we’d expect – and a heaviness that sets his portrayal of the patriarch apart. He and Lara Pulver as Golde lead wonderfully, the latter deftly revealing and reconcealing a softness beneath Golde’s callouses. They head a brilliant ensemble cast, who between them make Jerry Bock’s familiar score feel new, assuming their own accents and refraining from playing it like a period piece. Raphael Papo as the fiddler haunts throughout, sometimes a comic figure, sometimes underscoring the tragedy, but always superbly aloof.

It’s ultimately a very sad story, but rather than add further melancholy, Fein’s production chooses to focus on all that is joyful. Tradition and progress are both celebrated. Community rules. The humour, which has always existed in spades in Joseph Stein’s book and Sheldon Harnick’s lyrics, is lovingly drawn out and never jars. The ending lands even heavier once the laughter and movement have been stripped away, the characters static onstage for a rare moment. After such a winning central performance, watching Dannheisser break down in the last moment of light feels like watching your dad cry.


Fiddler On The Roof is playing now at the Barbican Theatre until 19 July – find tickets here