Fiddler On The Roof

Transferring to the Savoy Theatre in the West End, Lindsay Posner's production tinkers little with the staging, retaining much of Jerome Robbins' original Broadway choreography – this is a traditional tread through a familiar story, though still engaging with it.

Set in a small Russian village in 1905, Fiddlerconcerns the struggle of good-natured milkman Tevye to cling to tradition and steer his five young daughters into marriages that will ensure their future financial security. The girls however have other ideas, choosing to follow their hearts rather than their father's wishes (one has fallen for a poor local tailor, another for a young student with revolutionary views, while a third breaks a further taboo by falling for a Russian soldier). This all occurs against a background of major social upheaval, there are dark changes on the horizon that threaten to completely overwhelm the village and its people.

Henry Goodman is superbly charismatic as Tevye, playing him with a lightness of step and a great amiability. He looks completely at home in the role and has a great singing vouce, even if his accent occasionally falters. No one else comes close to matching him in terms of stage presence and the remaining cast, though highly competent, appear rather bland in comparison. Though having said that, Damian Humbley, as the radical student Perchick, has the right combination of righteous passion and brattish arrogance.

The first half is something of a long haul, cramming in the musical's most familiar numbers: Tradition, Matchmaker and, of course, If I was A Rich Man. There are some superb moments, even if the choreography often feels a little constricted on the Savoy stage. After the interval there is a dramatic change in tone, as the story's darker elements are brought to the fore. The main failing of Posner's production is that it never quite gets to grips with this shift; this shorter second half simply doesn't pack the necessary emotional impact. Goodman too seems less at ease in these scenes.

As this close community is shattered, as this family, whose trials you have followed for the last two and a bit hours, are pulled apart by outside forces, it should hit you in the heart and the head, but it doesn't really do either. A shame, as in its earlier scenes, this is warm and entertaining production, well sung and engaging, far more than just a time capsule piece. It successfully reminds you why this musical has remained so popular over the years.

Posner's rather reverential approach wouldn't have jarred so much had he not lost his footing in the second act gear change. Still, this is a solid and enjoyable show with a strong central performance, it just lacks that extra kick that would make it something truly special.

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