Fiddler on the Roof is back – and it’s glorious. This acclaimed production, which originated at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre, has now settled into the Barbican with all the beauty, heartbreak, and humour that earned it thirteen Olivier nominations. Whether you’ve seen it before or are coming in cold, this revival is an absolute must.
I went with my mum, who twice saw Topol perform the role on stage, decades ago, and was fully expecting to compare him to the new Tevye. But Adam Dannheisser as Tevye blew us away. She told me she didn’t think of Topol once. That alone tells you how good he was. His Tevye is warm, funny, weary, and completely lived-in – a man trying to hold the world together with a shrug and a prayer. He breaks the fourth wall with a twinkle, chatting to us, to God, and occasionally to the fiddler, as though we’re all in this together. His comic timing is flawless – he can land a laugh with a shrug – but he also delivers the show’s emotional wallops, especially in his moments of doubt, grief, and conflicted love for his daughters. You feel the weight on his shoulders, but never lose sight of the man beneath it.
The staging is immediately striking. A massive slab of stage – etched with the word “Anatevka” and framed on both sides by golden sheaves of wheat – slowly lifts, revealing the playing space below. It’s as if the land itself is rising to expose the lives underneath. The fiddler (Rafael Papo – incredible) appears atop this structure, poised in silhouette among the grass. Below, the band sits partially concealed behind another stretch of reeds, just visible enough to feel like part of the landscape. It’s bold, immersive design by Tom Scutt, and it sets the tone perfectly.
As the platform lifts and Dannheisser’s Tevye steps into view, the show begins with that familiar monologue about balance and tradition. The opening number, Tradition, explodes with life. It’s a real ‘everyone-on-stage’ moment that introduces the villagers, their roles, and the customs holding their lives together. I hadn’t seen Fiddler since school (where Tevye was played by none other than Jamie Lloyd – yes that one), and yet so many tunes came back to me – absolute bangers, one after another.
Rafael Papo’s fiddler feels almost magical – a rockstar spirit who drifts in and out of the story, sometimes jamming alongside Tevye during If I Were a Rich Man, creating a playful, beautiful duet. It’s ambiguous whether anyone else sees him, adding a folkloric edge to his presence.
Yente, played by Beverley Klein, offers comic relief but doesn’t quite land emotionally. She’s a caricature, and while that’s often how the role’s played, I wanted just a touch more grounding. Even so, she was a lot of fun, and the rest of the cast were phenomenal.
Natasha Jules Bernard was a standout as Tzeitel – grounded, smart, and fiercely empassioned. Her performance anchored the sisters’ number Matchmaker, Matchmaker with warmth and wit. Georgia Bruce’s Hodel had a gorgeous innocence and steel beneath it – her Far From the Home I Love was seriously heartbreaking. Hannah Bristow’s Chava gave the quietest daughter real presence, especially when she later appears playing the clarinet in the raised grass, distant and ghostlike.
Daniel Krikler and Dan Wolff were brilliant as Perchik and Motel. Wolff was hilarious, visibly terrified of Tevye and barely holding it together as he imagined asking for Tzeitel’s hand. His Miracle of Miracles was sweet and sincere. Krikler’s Now I Have Everything was tender and rich – a surprisingly moving number, and he sold it completely.
The dream sequence? Inspired. To convince Golde to approve Tzeitel’s marriage to Motel, Tevye concocts an elaborate haunting – complete with white-costumed spirits, over-the-top stretchy arms with skeletal hands for Fruma-Sarah, and full ensemble chaos. It’s brilliantly theatrical, bonkers, and very funny.
Sunrise, Sunset during the wedding was elegant and sad. Dannheisser and Lara Pulver (as Golde) captured the parental bittersweetness of it all – their voices strong, their chemistry lovely. And later came Do You Love Me? – a tender, awkward, deeply felt duet that felt like two teenagers discovering first love, except they’ve been married for 25 years. It was adorable.
The choreography throughout, especially in L’Chaim and the wedding dances, was off the charts. I genuinely gasped during the bottle dancing. It’s thrilling. But I’ll admit – I had a moment during L’Chaim where I thought, hang on, are we really celebrating the sale of a teenage girl to an old butcher? It’s hard not to see it that way through a modern lens. That said, the dancing was so joyful it swept me up anyway.
Then comes the turn. The constable (Karl Wilson, excellent) disrupts the wedding with his soldiers. The joy is shattered, crops burned, violence implied. It’s a gut punch. And the show doesn’t flinch from the consequences.
The final act builds to Anatevka, one of the most powerful songs in the show. As the villagers prepare to leave their home forever, the pain is raw and understated. And when Chava returns to say goodbye, Tevye’s whispered “God be with you” is the closest he can get to forgiveness. It’s perfect.
Yes, Fiddler is about tradition. But this production shows how much it’s also about change – about what happens when we hold on too tightly and what beauty can grow when we let go.
I could quibble about Yente. I didn’t need The Rumour. But honestly? This is a fantastic production. Direction, set, casting, acting, choreography, costume, music – it’s all top tier.
A revival done right. A classic that still hits hard. And a Tevye that blows the roof off, fiddler and all!
Fiddler on The Roof is playing at the Barbican Centre.
Currently booking until 19th Jul 2025 at theatreticketsdirect.co.uk
Words by Nick Barr
Photography Marc Brenner
