It's not often that a production delivers both a message and a performance so profound and so emotionally charged that you just have to sit back in your seat and absorb the action on stage - but Fiddler On The Roof is one of those productions.
Fiddler is an instantly recognisable story, set in Imperial Russia around 1905. The story centres on Tevye, a milkman in the village of Anatevka, who attempts to maintain his Jewish traditions as outside influences encroach upon his family's lives.
The original Broadway production opened in 1964 and was the first musical theatre run in history to surpass 3,000 performances, and held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for almost 10 years. It won nine Tony Awards, including best musical, and ultimately spawned five Broadway revivals and a highly successful 1971 film adaptation. Fiddler opened in the West End in 1967, and has since had four revivals in the capital.
From the moment the first notes hit in an otherwise silent auditorium, Fiddler transports you into a world of tradition, love and longing.
The staging is evocative and atmospheric: the set design, under the creative eye of Tom Scutt, is as beautiful as it is simple. Iconic songs like If I Were A Rich Man and Tradition speak to a time and a culture of living within your means and the staging, albeit a spectacle, isn't shrouded in glitz and glamour.
But what truly makes this production soar is the strength and heart of the performances, especially from the leads.
So often I talk about productions being ensemble pieces and, whilst there are clearly performers who portray the characters at the heart of the tale, this is a story about community. It's a 'group performance' like no other and to put it simply - Fiddler is reliant on the strength of its chemistry.
Matthew Woodyatt's performance as Tevye is mesmerising. He is a physical and vocal powerhouse and brings the character to life with a visible warmth and humour, alongside a subtle dignity. This is clearly a character who wants to be the father his daughters need but who's depth of tradition is so woven into his soul that he struggles to articulate that desire. Woodyatt personifies everything I want Tevye to be and everything Tevye wants to be himself - and this show absolutely belongs to him.
Jodie Jacobs as Golde is the perfect counterpart to Woodyatt. Their performance together is heartfelt and authentic and in particular their rendition of Do You Love Me hits every beat and portrays every emotion it needs to. This is a husband and wife who were put together in the same way that Tevye is expected to match his own daughter to a suitor. For him, at the height of his confusion, to turn to his wife and ask "I know we're married but do you actually love me?" is an incredibly poignant moment, handled incredibly by the pairing.
Golde isn’t just Tevye's wife: she’s a woman rooted in tradition but who is also clearly the matriarch of the family. Her sarcastic response to Tevye trying to assert his authority in the family, when she say's "...yes, I'm very frightened of you. After we finish supper, I'll faint" was delivered so perfectly it sliced through the tension like a knife through butter.
What I love most about this production is how it makes the timeless themes of tradition vs change feel deeply human. At times you're laughing and at others you're deathly silent. Alongside the tradition of family lies the tradition of persecution and it's fair to say you leave the theatre hopeful and moved.
Fiddler On The Roof plays at Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre until Saturday 3rd January 2026. For more information, or to get your tickets, visit atgtickets.com/birmingham.
