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Synopsis
Fiddler on the Roof is a beloved musical set in the early 1900s in the Jewish village of Anatevka in Imperial Russia. The story centres on Tevye, a poor milkman, who tries to maintain his religious and cultural traditions in the face of changing times and growing external pressures. He and his wife Golde struggle to find suitable husbands for their five daughters, but the girls challenge tradition by choosing their own matches—each one further from custom and Tevye’s expectations.
As Tevye comes to terms with his daughters’ choices—first a poor tailor, then a radical student, and finally a non-Jewish Russian—his faith and values are tested. Meanwhile, tensions rise between the Jewish villagers and the Tsarist authorities, leading to violence and forced displacement. Through humour, heartache, and iconic songs like “Tradition,” “If I Were a Rich Man,” and “Sunrise, Sunset,” the musical explores themes of family, faith, love, and resilience.
The “fiddler on the roof” symbolizes the delicate balance of life, especially in uncertain times. Despite loss and upheaval, Tevye and his family persist, carrying their heritage forward as they leave Anatevka behind in search of a new home.
Review
Fiddler on the Roof
DATE 25th October 2012
SOCIETY The Welwyn Thalians
VENUE Campus West Theatre
TYPE OF PRODUCTION Musical
DIRECTOR Angela Dunham
MUSICAL DIRECTOR Peter Farrell
CHOREOGRAPHER Samantha Sayers, Tammy Wall, Alison Downes
Report
Author: Vicki Avery
The notable and important thing about this production was the unmistakable bond that developed between stage and audience. In some of the more emotional moments, such as that when Tevye leaves Hodel at the railway station, the intensity of the bond was quite gripping. In fact from an acting point of view this was a good production. Tevye, (Peter Sayers) was first class, making the most of the humour, the confusion and his chats with God were beautifully executed. The five daughters worked well together with Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava complementing each other with their varied and personal, individual characteristics. Carefully matched with appropriate suitors there was a real feeling of a family involved in change. However, Amanda Sayers’ portrayal of Golde did not quite come across as the Jewish Matriarchal firecracker that I had expected and the characterization did not quite work for me. I particularly enjoyed Alison Mills-Barr’s portrayal of Yenta the matchmaker. Here we had excellent diction, controlled breathing, particularly in the longer speeches and good facial expression. Musically it all worked well, with good voices, though the lack of men was evident in the “To Life” number. Stage/pit balance was good but there were obvious problems with the lighting and some of the scene changes were a little slow. This had all the makings of great show but didn’t quite get there because of what can only be called lack of attention to detail: no prayer spoken at the Sabbath table, incorrect hand movements over the candles, wedding ring discrepancies, bottle missing in bottle dance and incorrect sewing machine. I know that this company can do better but on this occasion the technical side of the performance let them down. Thank you for greeting me on my arrival.
| Tevye | Peter Sayers |
| Golde | Amanda Sayers |
| Tzeitel | Zoë Jasko |
| Hodel | Emma Fox |
| Chava | Tammy Wall |
| Shprintze | Annalise Spink |
| Bielke | Rhiannon Gibbs |
| Motel | Tim Spink |
| Perchik | Vincent Clemmens |
| Feydka | Mark Morton |
| Lazar Wolfe | Peter Dunham |
| Yente | Alison Mills-Barr |
| Fruma-Sarah | Samantha Ademan |
| Grandma Tzeitel | Gillian Shaw |
| Mordcha | Nick Baker |
| Rabbi | Brian King |
| Avram | Alison Downes |
| Nachum | William Maxwell |
| Constable | Graham Bird |
| Shandel | Louise Bateman |
| Mirala | Angela Monaghan |
| The Fiddler | Catherine Parkes |
| Company | Keira Bateman, Roisin Bateman, Leah Dillinger, Alan Gibbs, Stevie Gibbs, Nathan Molyneux, Colleen Town |
| Production Director | Angela Dunham |
| Stage Director | Vincent Clemmens |
| Stage Manager | Jackie Radford |
| Musical Director | Peter Farrell |
| Choreographers | Samantha Ademan, Tammy Wall, Alison Downes |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Frances Green |
| Stage Crew | John Thorn, Rob Clemmens |
| Costume Mistresses | Amanda Sayers, Tammy Wall |
| Prompt | Angela Dunham |
| Properties Manager | Vanessa Baker |
| Properties Team | Katherine Brassett, Peter Dunham Nick Baker, Tim Spink |
| Lighting Design | Phil Bentley |
| Hawthorne Theatre Sound | Colin Allen |
| Costumes | Harlequin Costumes, Baldock The Barn Theatre, Welwyn Garden City |
| Hawthorne Theatre Manager | Mark Woolman |
| Hawthorne Theatre Technical Manager | Phil Bentley |
| Conductor | Peter Farrell |
| Flute | Clare Taylor |
| Clarinet | Andrew Pummell |
| Trumpet | Tim Welch |
| Trombone | Ian Daniels |
| Violin | Boris Peck |
| Cello | Rachel Sanders-Hewett |
| Bass | Peter Neville |
| Percussion | Chris Gray |
