Book: Joseph Stein
Music: Jerry Bock
Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick
Director: Jordan Fein
Fiddler on the Roof arrives in Norwich direct from the West End as part of its UK wide tour. The classic production, here reimagined by Jordan Fein, of course tells the story of a small Jewish village grappling with the tension between time-honoured tradition and the unstoppable forces of change. With innovative choreography by Julia Cheng and design by Tom Scutt, this sixty-year-old classic is transformed into something traditional yet modern, amusing yet deeply affecting.
As the beleaguered milkman Tevye, Matthew Woodyatt brings heart and humour to the role of the staunch traditionalist, along with a touching empathy as his love for his daughters moves him to try to understand and adapt to the changing world. Opposite him, Jodie Jacobs delivers a pragmatic, intelligent, and unflinchingly devoted Golde who grounds the entire family, and in the duet Do You Love Me? reveals a buried tenderness that complements Tevye’s buoyant earnestness.
Also noteworthy are their daughters, Tzeitel (Natasha Jules Bernard), Hodel (Georgia Bruce), and Chava (Hannah Bristow) each forging her own path: from Tzeitel’s determination to marry for love, to Hodel’s defiance in following her fiancé to Siberia, to Chava’s heartbreaking choice to marry outside her faith. Each performer brings a depth, humour, and sincerity to their roles and truly shine when they share the stage together.
In a production that requires such a large cast, Cheng’s choreography brings the stage alive without ever causing it to feel cluttered. The cast gathers and retreats seamlessly and are particularly effective during the reimagining of Tevye’s dream sequence in which the ghost of Golde’s grandmother haunts the stage. The ensemble’s movement in that moment is both eerie and playful in an echo of the show’s bittersweet irony. The staging of this production is something quite remarkable, with a suspended straw roof evoking the wheat fields of the town, where the Fiddler (Roman Lytwyniw) plays above the town, as well as the rest of the orchestra being positioned at the rear of the stage to allow the music of the piece to really become a living part of the production.
At the heart of every Fiddler is Tevye’s reflection on ‘a fiddler on the roof, trying to scratch out a pleasant, simple tune without breaking his neck.’ Here the fiddler transcends decoration, elevating the figure to Tevye’s silent conscience, mirroring Tevye’s hopes, doubts, and unspoken prayers in a performance of sublime resonance.
Overlaying that quiet human drama is the stark, unavoidable tension of pogroms, the threat of violence simmering just beyond the shtetl’s boundaries. Fein’s staging makes that tension implicit, woven into every joyous dance and tender moment, keeping a pulse of unease alive beneath the melody. Fein strips away any sentimentality and crafts scenes that shift in tone from tender intimacy to brutal disruption in an instant. The design, with its fragile wheat canopy and minimalist set, immerses the audience in both community and vulnerability, reminding us that Anatevka could collapse at any moment.
This Fiddler on the Roof is certainly a worthy revival. Under Fein’s direction the potentially aged story becomes urgent truth as the audience unavoidably reflect upon modern parallels. The principal cast and ensemble create a show of laughter, tears, and a genuine communal catharsis on stage to remind us that after all this time Fiddler is just as relevant as ever.
Runs Until: 16 August 2025
