Much intrigued me about heading to Regent Park’s Open-Air Theatre for their production of Fiddler on the Roof. Firstly, it had been years since seeing a production here. Nine years to be exact, for a matinee production of Peter Pan in 2015. With London’s unpredictable weather, and in the past trying to bring young kids along to a show it always felt a little bit difficult and too much like hard work, packing sun cream, waterproofs, jumpers, snacks and making them walk from the nearest tube station 15 minutes away. With no roof it can either be too hot, too wet, or too cold, and sometimes just sometimes, just right! I was wondering what the experience would be like 9 years later. Either way seasoned Brits won’t let a bit of unpredictable weather ruin their fun.

Our evening was very close on the “just right” spectrum the night we attended with no small children in tow. We arrived to an ambience of a joyous summer party with people boisterously dining, drinking, and chatting with a general sense of happiness to find themselves in our city’s very lush green oasis on a beautiful summer’s night.

I did wonder if the story would feel dated after all this time. Fiddler on the Roof first opened on Broadway in 1964 running almost 10 years and winning 9 Tony Awards followed by a film adaptation in 1971 winning an Oscar and a pair of Golden Globes. Given the current global issues—such as the war in Ukraine and Gaza, immigration, refugees, and globalisation—the themes explored in the play are highly relevant and thought-provoking. These themes include family, community, tradition and its loss, displacement, racism, and change.

I have seen many of the iconic Broadway musicals, but this one seems to have slipped me by unseen, I hence have no basis of comparison, but this adaptation was spectacular in many ways beginning with Tom Scutt’s stage set. The upward sloping roof is striking as an elevated field of wheat with the occasional single bright flower peeking through from which Raphael Papo’s fiddler plays. The glow of the natural evening light sets the tone for the joyous mood of the first half, and then as darkness falls the story veers towards a more sombre second half.

There is a small orchestra live on stage accompanying the cast where we find ourselves in a fictional shtetl (little Jewish town) Anatevka in Russia, hometown to milkman Teyve, the arch typical Jewish Patriarch. It turns out that Anatevka is a place on the outskirts of Kyiv, Ukraine (I couldn’t help myself and looked it up).

Teyve is married to his traditional wife Golde and has five daughters for whom they wish a better life through marriage. An amusing Matchmaker is at the ready to find them husbands. The three daughters of marrying age (Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava) each with their own determined personalities have other ideas.

American actor Adam Dannheisser deftly plays the role of Teyve with a nuanced and emotional performance while also providing the majority of humurous moments with perfect comic timing. Teyve is a man deeply rooted in tradition, family, and his faith who has to navigate the change that is happening and is forced to change his views and standards. He is the strong Jewish father with the all-too-recognisable trait of a soft heart, finding it very difficult to say no to his daughters and reluctant to interfere with their happiness. His daughters' love marriages take precedence over any decisions made by him or the matchmaker.

His eldest Tzeitel marries Motel a poor tailor instead of the chosen wealthy butcher. Motel is so poor he still does not own a sewing machine. Their union sparks the most joyous scenes of the play. The famous bottle dance at their wedding is a highlight of the first half and is impeccably performed. While it is not a truly traditional Jewish dance this razzle dazzle creation of original director-choreographer Jerome Robbins will have you at the edge of your seat.

The most touching and memorable scene is when Teyve, having seen his two daughters so happy and in love he longingly wonders if his wife loves him.

Their marriage was rooted in tradition, and they only met on their wedding day with his parents having told him they would learn to love each other. And only now 25 years into his marriage he thinks to ask his wife Golde “Do you love me” in song. Golde thinks it a silly question and as Teyve persistently asks, she looks back to what their marriage has been. Laura Pulver as Golde beautifully takes the audience through her thought process of her married years: the multitude of mundane jobs, she’s cooked for him, cleaned his house, done his laundry, given him children, shared her bed with him, fought with him, starved with him and she tenderly concludes “I suppose I do.”

The request of his third daughter, Chava, to be with a Christian man is a step too far for him and he cannot hide his hurt and disappointment and disowns her. We are then led into more loss for the family and their community. The fiddler throughout the play is perched precariously on the roof as a metaphorical reminder of survival in a life of uncertainty.  During the play there is the looming anti-Jewish sentiment from Russia which climaxes with their eviction, when given just three days’ notice, a historical reminder of the pogroms in the early 20th century. Each family makes plans to join relatives in far flung places, forced to leave their community, and the only place they know as home. One can’t help but think of what is happening in the world today and how this reflects the plight of so many. The setting as the villagers depart is cleverly staged as they exit and disappear down a path into the distance of the trees of Regent’s Park towards an unknown future.

It seems an open-air theatre is the perfect place to stage a revival of Fiddler on the Roof filled with wonderful performances. We will be keeping an eye out for their programming in 2025 for more delightful productions in this beautiful space.

Dinning at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre

If you wish to push the boat out dining options are pretty good at the theatre. Gates open 90 minutes before the show with the following options:

Covered Dining set menu at £38.95  Located on a terrace overlooking the bar, guests have a reserved table with waiter service. Main course is served prior to the performance, with dessert and coffee at the interval.

The Grill is just off the picnic lawn serving a small menu of burgers, breaded chicken sandwiches and a substantial vegetarian salad option. With a small savings by purchasing a voucher in advance for just £11.95 (£12.95 on the day)

At The Pizza Oven there is pizza by the slice, soups, sausage rolls and salad boxes.

Lastly there is an option to pre-order in advance a picnic for two which includes a bottle of wine for £68.95. 

Date: 27 July - 21 September 2024. Run time: 2h40 min including interval. Location: Open Air Theatre, Inner Circle, Regent's Park, London, NW1 4NU. Price: £19- £92. openairtheatre.com.

 
Words by Natascha Milsom