Fiddler on the Roof

What a wonderful evening I have just spent in the company of Tevye, his family and the residents of Anatevka. 

On their move from St George’s Hall to the Alhambra Theatre, for this year, the standard of the usually good performances of this society seemed to go up another notch to match their wonderful surroundings.  The backcloths and simple truck sets depicted the gloominess of the Russian landscape and peasant life, the props, as always with this Society, were excellent, there was a working butter churn on stage, must have been for all of five minutes, but that, the pump and the washing line made the house all the more inhabited and believable.  I liked the way all the men in particular kissed their fingers and touched the architrave on entering and leaving the house.   The lighting and light changes were exemplary, the costumes had just enough colour in them to relieve the dreariness of black, brown and beige peasant’s costumes and the sound was balanced and blended throughout.

The large chorus were in excellent voice and so was their diction, not an easy thing for over 30 people.  In fact, there was hardly a word I couldn’t distinguish from anyone, despite Russian accents, in either song or libretto, throughout the whole performance so Congratulations to everyone.

The Principals for the show, from the leading actors to the very small part players, had been beautifully cast and directed.  There wasn’t one character unbelievable or out of place.   Last year’s juvenile female lead playing the older ghostly character, could this be possible?  Yes, the whole ghost/dream scene was a spectacle to behold.  Tevye’s daughters were a delight, all could sing, dance and yet easily portrayed their different individual characteristics and their reasons for going against tradition, defying their beloved father, to marry the man that they loved.  Golde and Tevye (Anne Tonks and Gerard Marescaux) had that indifference, yet closeness to each other that only comes from a long and happy marriage – ‘Do you love me’? – the looks on their faces and intonations of their voices said it all.  The final, very sad scene, was beautifully handled; there was a superb balance of not wanting to leave their homeland and yet the almost excitement of going to another country.

The whole show was accompanied, almost un-noticed, by a superb orchestra from members of the University of Leeds and Leeds College of Music and the national dancing from the Krylati Ukranian Dance Group brought gasps of approval from the audience for their agility.

This was an amateur show, of professional standard and one not to be missed.

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