Fiddler on the Roof

Joseph Stein, Sheldon Harnick, Jerry Bock.

Trafalgar Theatre Productions; Regent's Park Open Air Theatre; Brian and Diana Lee; Umeda Arts

Palace Theatre, Manchester

October 21-November 1, 2025; 2hrs 30mins

(also at Sunderland Empire, November 25-29)

Matthew Woodyatt and Jodie Jacobs as Tevye and Golde in Fiddler on the Roof. All pics: Marc Brenner

Set in 1905 in Anatevka, a fictional village in the Ukrainian area of Imperial Russia, Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of a Jewish community through the eyes of Tevye, a Jewish milkman. 

He aims to live his life by their proud traditions and hopes his family - his wife Golde and their five daughters - will do the same. Like almost all parents he finds his respect for tradition challenged by a natural desire for change from his children. In addition, his community is facing the external threat of continuing persecution within Tsarist Russia. 

With five daughters to find husbands for, the traditional matchmaker, Yente, is a welcome visitor until the daughters challenge her proposals. 

The themes are universal: the tension between tradition and change both within a family setting and a wider community, whether to treat outsiders with suspicion or welcome, and the importance of, or disregard for, wealth and possessions when family, community and life itself are under threat. 

Though I was aware of the vast popularity of the show, particularly the key songs, when it was first released in the mid-1960s and filmed in 1971, I had seen neither before.

This current touring production arrives with lavish praise and awards, having started life at Regents Park Open Air Theatre in London last summer. A powerful creative team - director  Jordan Fein, choreographer Julia Cheng and designer Tom Scutt - allow a talented cast of actors, dancers, singers and musicians to entertain, engage empathy and unlock an emotional response such that the audience leaves with tunes running through their head, as well as questions and thoughts likely to occupy minds for some time to come. 

A two-tier set of cornfields provides the homes, streets, and gathering places for the community, as well as the roof on which the fiddler literally plays. It also enhances the feelings of comfort and community and lurking oppression.

Matthew Woodyatt as Tevye is a warm and generous father. He combines a strong physical presence, with an emotional core, strength of movement and a singing style completely in tune with his emotions and his strong urge to communicate. The Welsh accent adds to the charm and to the stature. Jodie Jacobs, as Tevye’s wife Golde, is convincingly similarly caught at times between traditional values and the urge to see her daughters truly happy, as well as secure. 

Natasha Jules Bernard, Georgia Bruce and Hannah Bristow succeed at different points in the show in differentiating the characters of the three eldest daughters Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava.  

The ensemble work is superb: cast members at times move as one, while also creating a view of a vibrant and varied community going about its business with individual intent. Ensemble singing is beautiful and rich in harmony, while the largely male ensemble dancing is dramatic - wild at times - though thankfully a little more sedate for the bottle dance.  

The songs themselves include the well-known  If I Were A Rich Man, Tradition, Matchmaker and Sunrise, Sunset, as well as some  beautiful songs, particularly duets, awaiting audience discovery.  

It’s a show of two halves; the first lively with a successful comedic element and energetic song and dance, while the second is dramatic, quieter and more emotional.  

For many in the audience, this is a favourite show - for some, their absolute favourite, and you can understand why. Written in the early 1960s, about events prior to World War I, it combines most of the strongest features of musical theatre to tell a strong story and to engage the emotions and promote reflection, without preaching. 

As for the fiddler on the roof, there’s a wealth of interpretations, but he’s brilliant. Just enjoy.

More info and tickets here