{"id":413910,"date":"2025-09-10T19:28:14","date_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:28:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/413910\/"},"modified":"2025-09-10T19:28:14","modified_gmt":"2025-09-10T19:28:14","slug":"fiddler-on-the-roof-review-a-captivating-edinburgh-revival","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/413910\/","title":{"rendered":"Fiddler on the Roof Review: A Captivating Edinburgh Revival"},"content":{"rendered":"<\/p>\n

Book by Joseph Stein<\/strong><\/p>\n

Music by Jerry Bock<\/strong><\/p>\n

Lyrics by Sheldon Harnick<\/strong><\/p>\n

Directed by Jordan Fein<\/strong><\/p>\n

Review by Dominic Corr<\/strong><\/p>\n

The Festival Theatre: Tickets<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50\u2b50<\/p>\n

Rating: 4 out of 5.<\/p>\n

Tradition<\/strong> is more than a number here; it\u2019s also the heartbeat of this revival of Fiddler on the Roof,<\/strong> which opened its Edinburgh run to a packed Festival<\/strong> Theatre<\/strong>. Directed by Jordan<\/strong> Fein<\/strong>, this Olivier<\/strong> Award<\/strong>-winning production, fresh from its Barbican<\/strong> triumph, balances reverence and reinvention with remarkable poise. And while the roof may be metaphorical, the emotional stakes are anything but.<\/p>\n

Set in the village of Anatevka in 1905, the story follows Tevye, a Jewish milkman, as he grapples with the shifting sands of modernity, faith, and family, yielding to some, resisting to others. Matthew<\/strong> Woodyatt<\/strong> steps into the role with jolly warmth and jocularity, delivering a Tevye who is less bombastic patriarch and wearier philosopher. His rendition of \u201cIf I Were a Rich Man\u201d<\/strong> is playful without losing its melancholy, and his final monologue, delivered with aching restraint, is a triumph of direction, adaptation, and performance.<\/p>\n

But no Tevya is worth their salt without a sparring partner, and wife, Golde. And tonight, Edinburgh was treated to Jodie Jacobs as a formidable presence, grounding Tevye\u2019s flights of fancy with dry humour and maternal steel. Their duet \u201cDo You Love Me?<\/strong>\u201d is a highlight for the night, a much slower and tender number, funny and quietly devastating. Surrounded on all sides by ailing health, frustrations, a growing resentment to their identity, Tevya faces something more devastating: five daughters. Natasha Jules Bernard makes a firm impression as the eldest, Tzeitel, bringing plenty of spirit and drawing out the most of the character. While Ashleigh<\/strong> Schuman<\/strong> makes a terrific Hodel, a fine balance to \u00a0Hannah<\/strong> Bristow<\/strong>, whose Chava brings the family to breaking point with their taste in suitor. They all bring distinct textures to Tevye\u2019s daughters, each navigating the tension between tradition and autonomy with clarity and charm.<\/p>\n

Captivating, Roman<\/strong> Lytwyniw<\/strong> took up the mantle of the Fiddler for an evening with numerous cast substitutions: each handled with grace, and the ensemble never missed a beat. But it\u2019s the dancing that elevates this production. Julia<\/strong> Cheng\u2019s<\/strong> choreography is eccentric, rooted in folk tradition but pulsing with contemporary energy. The wedding sequence, with its bottle dance and swirling ensemble, is a masterclass in controlled farce. Cheng\u2019s movement direction doesn\u2019t just decorate the story as it drives the narrative, particularly with Tevye\u2019s gradual breakdown of their body \u2013 more horse than man: from the stomping defiance of \u201cTo Life<\/strong>\u201d to the haunting procession of Anatevka\u2019s final exile, the choreography speaks volumes.<\/p>\n

And though tucked at the rear of Tom<\/strong> Scutt\u2019s<\/strong> set, the live band is exceptionally talented. The show\u2019s design is unique, and a continuation \u2013 rather than sa trict reinvention of what audiences expect: The musicians are musicians who underscore the drama with infused melancholy and celebratory bursts. It\u2019s the first act closer which hits hardest; a roar of vermillion embers sparking amongst the crops, the smoke looming, pluming into the audience.<\/p>\n

The lighting by Aideen<\/strong> Malone<\/strong> plays a crucial role in storytelling. Silhouettes stretch across the stage like memories, and the use of shadow during Tevye\u2019s dream sequence is particularly effective, even intimidating. The palette shifts are rare, from warm candlelight to more monochrome, reflecting the emotional temperature of each scene. The production\u2019s themes of displacement, persecution, and cultural resilience feel painfully relevant. As Anatevka\u2019s residents are forced from their homes, the echoes of contemporary refugee crises are impossible to ignore. Fein\u2019s direction doesn\u2019t labour the point, but the resonance is unmistakable. This is a story about holding on, to faith, to family, to identity, even as the world insists you let go.<\/p>\n

If there\u2019s a flaw, it\u2019s in the occasional unevenness of tone. Some ensemble performances lean too far into comedic, even in their attempts to lighten heavier sequences, undercutting the emotional weight of the narrative. A few comedic beats feel overstated, particularly in scenes involving the matchmaker Yente (Beverley<\/strong> Klein<\/strong>), whose broad delivery sometimes clashes with the production\u2019s more nuanced moments.<\/p>\n

A surviving, stirring celebration of unwavering tradition and joy, Fiddler on the Roof remains strong. It sings, it dances, it mourns\u2014and it does so with integrity. As dusk settles, and the final notes of \u201cAnatevka<\/strong>\u201d drift into the night air, Fiddler on the Roof leaves behind more than just applause it leaves a reckoning. Fein transforms this classic into something elemental and urgent. In a world still grappling with displacement, division, and the erosion of tradition, this production reminds us that the fragility of home is not just historical, it\u2019s heartbreakingly present. And as Lytwyniw\u2019s fiddler plays on, perched above the stage like memory itself, we are left with a final image: not of endings, but of endurance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

A Stirring Celebration<\/strong><\/p>\n

Fiddler on the Roof runs at The Festival Theatre
Running time \u2013 Two hours and Forty minutes with one interval<\/strong><\/p>\n

Photo credit: Johan Persson and Marc Brenner<\/strong><\/p>\n

Review by Dominic Corr<\/strong> \u2013 contact@corrblimey.uk<\/strong><\/p>\n

Editor for\u00a0Corr Blimey<\/strong>, and a freelance critic for Scottish publications,\u00a0Dominic\u00a0<\/strong>has been writing freelance for several established and respected publications such as\u00a0BBC Radio Scotland, The List, The Scotsman, Edinburgh Festival Magazine, The Reviews Hub, In Their Own League, The Wee Review\u00a0<\/strong>and\u00a0Edinburgh Guide<\/strong>. As of 2023, he is a member of the\u00a0Critic\u2019s Award for Theatre Scotland<\/strong>\u00a0(CATS)\u00a0<\/strong>and a member of the\u00a0UK Film Critics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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