Fiddler on the Roof

This is only my second visit to Wells little theatre and both times I have been struck by how lovely the venue is.  However, although lovely, the theatre does come with its own set of problems due to the size of the stage and backstage area meaning some extra thought needs to be given to the sets and their storing.

The staging for this production was incredibly minimal and mostly consisted of some suitcases, and an occasional doorway, this was an incredibly clever idea as it kept the story moving and meant there was no need to slow the pace down for scene changes.  It also leant the production a very stylised look, especially in the inventive way that some scenes were set, ie; using luggage trunks for Motel’s tailor shop.

The lighting and sound were perfect for the production and on the whole you could hear everything perfectly well, although there were a couple of occasions where it was hard to distinguish what a few of the characters were saying.  If there were microphones used, then they were well concealed and gave a pretty even sound across the majority of the cast.  However, if there were no mics then kudos to practically everyone for some great projection.  The lighting was good and everything was well lit at all times, with some particularly good use of colour in some scenes.

The costumes were great and completely embodied the production, perfectly conjuring the look and atmosphere of Russia at the beginning of the 20th century.

Choreography under the control of Eden Simpson was simple, fun, fitting and surprisingly active considering the size of the stage and the number of cast members.  At no time did it look like people were treading on each other or getting squashed or pushed into the wings (due to some good use of circles). Although the amount of dancing may have occasionally been slightly restricted by the stage dimensions… and the big cart.

The singing was lovely with some great performances.  Harmonies were good and for the most part performed well and with confidence.  The band accompanied the singers well without overpowering the vocals.  Having the band on stage the whole time behind the cloth was a great idea and gave the band an almost ethereal quality. Having the fiddler as the only band member visible on the stage and on the balcony was a nice touch.

The acting for this production was of an incredibly high standard, and every single cast member should be congratulated for their characterisation skills.  Every character was believable as were their interactions with each other.  Whenever I write a review I always like to pick out a few cast members for individual praise but in this production it seems impossible to do so as every single person was exceptional.  However, it would be completely remiss to not praise Dave Palmer who was just mesmerising as Tevye.  On speaking to the director, Lois Harbinson, I was informed that Dave is professionally trained and this was evident on the night I came.  He put in so many individual touches that it would be impossible to list them all here, he had the whole audience in the palm of his hand from the start and I genuinely could’ve watched him all night.

Overall this was a fantastic production and one that I’m sure all involved will be proud of and will remember for a long time to come.  I don’t mind admitting that I was a little apprehensive about seeing this show as all I could remember was the bleakness of the ending and thought that it might be a bit heavy going, how wrong was I?  All the cast members did a superb job of wringing out plenty of humour without the need to ham anything up.  Also well done for managing to craft a moving tribute to the Jews of Anatevka through the touching pictures that were projected at the end of the production.

Thank you very much for inviting me and there is only one thing left that I can say, Mazel Tov, Mazel Tov.

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