We take a look at what is being said about the transfer of the Regent Park Open Air Theatre’s production of the classic musical.
The Stage: **** “Fresh and rapturous rendition of the classic musical.”
Time Out: **** “It’s Fiddler with all the stuff you love about Fiddler – Cossack dancing, classic songs, immortal quips – but recast as an absurdist comedy with a beating human heart in Dannheiser. It’s unlikely to be a definitive take, but it is a brilliant one.”
The Jewish Chronicle: ***** “Every musical worth its salt reaches for the ecstatic. Quite why it gets there is never just because of one thing or another. Rather it is achieved by all manner of things; book, lyrics, melody, orchestration and design combined with performing talent led here by American Adam Dannheisser in the monumental role of Tevye and the always excellent Lara Pulver as his wife Golde.”
Gay Times: ***** “This is an excellent show, the cast is superb, the music is wonderful, it has a real charm, warmth and sense of humour, and it feels just as important as it ever did. An absolute must-see.”
The Standard: ***** “Beverley Klein is very funny as the gabbling matchmaker Yente, as is Dan Wolff as Tzeitel’s waftily diffident beloved, Motel. Papo’s fiddler is a shadow or sounding board for Tevye here, integrated into the action, and later paired with Hannah Bristow as Tevye’s daughter Chava, whose clarinet counterpoint to his plangent violin expresses her rejection of the old ways. The cast mostly use their own accents – both the Jewish publican and Chava’s Russian lover Fyedka are respectively Welsh and Scottish – which emphasises the universality of this Jewish story.”
All That Dazzles: ***** “An incredible take on a classic, it is clear to see why this show has been loved by multiple generation, with this miraculous production becoming a new tradition in itself – may we continue to see it for many years to come.”
WhatsOnStage: **** “The pertinence of the story — about communities displaced, oppressed, and removed from their homes — is no less pronounced than it was almost a year ago. Fires still rage. Animosity and hatred endure. This production is a keen reminder of theatre’s power in providing not only a safe space for expression, but equally an uncompromising, inescapable mirror unflinchingly held up to the present day.”
The Arts Desk: ***** “Mark Aspinall’s superlative music direction bolsters the sense of a story told with grit and liveliness rather than regret and sentimentality. Tom Scutt’s glorious set keeps our sensibilities firmly anchored in Russian wheat fields. Aideen Malone’s lighting design subtly augments the production’s shifting moods, whether in the misty, haunting setting of the fiddler on the roof or the gorgeous gold-hued tones that bring warmth to the performance of “Sabbath Prayer”. An utter delight.”
The Reviews Hub: ***** “The Open Air Theatre’s production may, in its original home, have had the benefit of natural lighting that darkened as the play progresses, starting in evening sunshine and descending into black night. Indoors, that oppressive blackness is with us from the start. Another reminder that it matters not how much we fiddle, the external forces of darkness pervade. Now, as much as ever,Fiddler on the Roofis a historical lesson for today’s world.”
West End Best Friend: ***** “Dannheisser, who is captivating throughout, delivers his lines with the perfect combination of warmth and sharp humour, particularly when grappling with his defiant daughters. A particular crowd favourite is the awkwardly timid Motel (Dan Wolff), an impoverished tailor who, much to Tevye’s dismay, falls in love and marries his daughter Tzeitel.”
Jewish News.co.uk: “But this London revival is not so much about pace or performances – it will be remembered more for the Fiddler, promoted to a major character for whose portrayal Papo was rightly nominated for an Olivier, and his ever-shifting roof.”
The Telegraph: **** “This Olivier-winning production, which has transferred to the Barbican, is superb – but you miss the magic of last summer’s alfresco staging.”
Theatre Vibe: “However, time and circumstance make this Fiddler a rather uncomfortable watch. The gender politics, viewed through today’s lens, are glaringly unfair. At Yente’s wedding, while all the men dance in celebration, the women—though happy—remain on the sidelines cheering on the menfolk. When Tevye, after watching his daughters choose love over tradition, asks his wife ‘Do you love me?’ she concludes, after listing what she’s done since marriage, “If this is love, then I suppose I do”. While comical, it highlights the life of someone who’s had little free will and made the best of a situation where she had no alternative. “
Fiddler on the Roof continues to play at the Barbican Theatre. To book tickets click here.