Synopsis In Tsarist Russia in 1905, poor dairyman Tevye is doing his best to preserve tradition in the face of a changing world by marrying his daughters off in the traditional Jewish way. But revolution is in the air and the young are guided by their hearts, not their elders. When his daughters refuse the matchmaker's advice and marry for love instead, Tevye must choose between their happiness and his beloved traditions.
The tale of Tevye, the Jewish milkman eking out an existence in a shtetl (village) in Tsarist Russia and trying to do his best for his wife and family of marriageable daughters receives a bold new treatment in John Doyle's production.
Doyle's hallmark concept of casting actor-musicians proves an inspired way of telling this story of family life in changing times. We're used to the big all-singing, all-dancing approach but so much of this story takes place in the intimacy of Tevye's village home. So the wooden beams of this lovely theatre space blend effortlessly with Mark Bailey's simple in-the-round design and Richard Jones' atmospheric lighting to draw us in.
Doyle's concept has another, more sombre intent too. Despite the threat of persecution ever looming over these beleaguered Russian Jews, the story is bittersweet, with hope for a better future balancing fear of the unknown. That balance is tipped subtly but firmly by the yellow star, the Nazis' obligatory label for Jews. All the actors wear it, sewn on garments ranging from voluminous peasant skirts to smart 1940s ensembles and the striped uniforms of the concentration camp. Consequently, you never lose sight of the eventual fate of some villagers such as Motl (an appealing Paul Harvard), the tailor optimistic about a new start in Warsaw.
From the first fiddle strains - played here by Tevye's daughter Chava (a vulnerable Stephanie Pochin) by the light of Sabbath candles - an air of elegiac melancholy underpins the very real exhilaration of celebratory numbers like To Life!. But gaiety and audience laughter are irrepressible, and the virtuoso performances Doyle and musical director/arranger Sarah Travis draw from their multi-talented cast ensure an irresistibly high energy level.
Susanna Northern brings a touching intensity to Tzeitel, Tevye's oldest daughter, and Rebecca Jackson's Yente, the matchmaker, is a beguiling mix of style and chutzpah. At times Edward York's Tevye is a tad underpowered while Karen Mann as Golde his wife can be overpowering.
But these are quibbles, for this ensemble reaps the rewards of working together over time - and to our good fortune, so do we, the audience.
This is a really good show. The talented team of actor-musicians provide genuinely moving performances whilst the director has turned this small apce's limitations to his advantage and created a show much larger than you would believe possible. Loved it. - USER: Whatsonstage.com
Started in 1967 this venue combines a producing theatre situated in an old Victorian paper mill, and excellent restaurant in a tithe barn and fabulous grounds. The 200 seater theatre, described as the most idyllic theatre in the country, is one of the most successful producing venues in England, regularly transferring shows into London's West End and New York.
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