Fiddler On The Roof
05 June 2025
Barbican Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
After an extremely successful run at the Regents Park Open Air Theatre, Fiddler on the Roof has transferred to the Barbican, where it is running until the 19 July.
The production took its impressive set with it, from an outdoor theatre to the vast Barbican stage. Brimming with dry fields of wheat swaying in the breeze surrounding the stage while the “roof”, a wheat field with a gnarled old tree in its centre, raises and lowers throughout the show, it’s a visually stunning set. The central part of the stage that sees most of the action consists of a rustic wooden floor with ANATEVKA, the village’s name, embossed into it. Tables and chairs serve as the set pieces moved into and out of this space. It’s a simple but very effective stage design that defines the mood as homey and comfortable but easily turns threatening and rough with the story.
The story of poor milkman Tevye and his family struggling to adjust to more modern times while holding on to tradition, three wilful daughters who want to marry for love rather than yielding to the matchmaker’s decisions, while Russia turns against Jewish people, threatening to remove them from the country. There’s tension interwoven with levity in the story, family ties and tradition reign heavily, while rebellion and personal beliefs from the younger generations challenge their elders.
It’s a tale of belonging and evolving, holding on to the past while looking into the future. The musical is of course an absolute classic, with some of the most beloved and well known songs featuring in the first act, while the second act presents more mellow, darker music that is less engaging, befitting of the increasingly mournful and dark plot.
With no costume or scene changes, the focus is on the stellar acting performances, a very compelling and well-presented version of Fiddler, definitely timely in its thought-provoking portrayal of displacement and intolerance. A beautiful production.
