Theatre Review: Fiddler on the Roof
Fiddler on the Roof
Where: Bristol Hippodrome
Dates: Tuesday 26th – Saturday 30th August
Timing: 2 hours 40 minutes (including a 20-minute interval)
Rating: ★★★★★
Emotional, hilarious, and full of heart!
After its highly commended stint at The Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, Fiddler on the Roof is now making its way across the UK on tour, and last night, The Bristol Hippodrome welcomed this fresh production of Fiddler on the Roof to the stage.
Set in 1905 Anatevka, the musical follows the story of a Jewish Milkman, Tevye and his five daughters. Tevye attempts to uphold his Jewish beliefs and traditions while his three eldest strong-willed daughters attempt to flee the nest. This story is full of love, hope, and tradition, and is performed masterfully by the incredible cast and crew of the production.
The show opens with “Tradition” and it was clear from the get-go that the audience was in for a treat. Throughout the first act, each number kept surpassing the last, and I found myself thinking, ‘Surely there has to be a weak moment.’ But no—the cast maintained their high energy and delivered outstanding performances from start to finish. Julia Chengs choreography was spectacular and delivered expertly by each member of the cast. I loved Tzietal’s (Natash Jules Bernard), Chava’s (Cary’s McQueen), and Hodel’s (Georgia Bruce) delivery of “Matchmaker.” Throughout the whole show, each actor/actress effortlessly portrayed their character and it goes to show just how well Director, Jordan Fein, and Casting Director, Stuart Burt cast this production.
While Act 1 was full of high-energy chorus numbers with the audience constantly in fits of laughter, Act 2 took a much more emotive and touching turn. “Now I have everything”, performed by Hodel (Georgia Bruce) and Perchik (Greg Bernstein) left me feeling giddy with love and joy. Georgia Bruce again brought so much passion to their performance of “Far from the Home I Love” and this really showed their skill and expertise. They were a standout character throughout the entire show.
I must also mention the incredible Matthew Woodyatt as Tevye and Jodie Jacobs as Golde, their performance and vocals were flawless, hilarious, and full of love. I could not write a review without mentioning Raphael Papo’s as The Fiddler. He was outstanding!
Despite the lengthy show, the ending came around all too quickly. The ending did feel rather abrupt, but upon reflection, this was so appropriate for the closing theme of the musical and anything else would have seemed wrong. The united curtain call was a touching moment and the perfect finish to this incredible production.
The set design was simple yet captivating, and the choice to keep a large number of the chorus members onstage throughout the first act definitely paid off. The lighting added remarkable depth to each number, enhancing the overall atmosphere beautifully. The only moment that felt slightly off was during the fire lighting at the end of Act 1, where the smoke appeared just a bit before the fire itself became visible.
This show was one of the best I have seen in The Bristol Hippodrome, and I immediately wanted to watch it all again. The singing, acting, and dancing were mesmerising. This was certainly a performance to remember. Please don’t miss the opportunity to see this incredible show, head to www.atgtickets.com to book tickets and explore what’s on.