Hannah Bristow

Fiddler on the Roof

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Reviewed by Nikki Cotter

Opening Night verdict ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Credit: Johan Persson

Jordan Fein’s multi award-winning Fiddler on the Roof, which began its life last summer at Regent’s Park Open Air theatre arrived at Manchester’s Palace Theatre this week proving to audiences just how incredibly special this timeless giant of the theatre world really is.

Fiddler on the Roof introduces us to impoverished Jewish milkman Tevye, (Matthew Woodyatt), a proud father, committed to honouring the traditions of his culture in an ever-changing and often incredibly testing world. This powerful story truly stands the test of time as its themes resonate just as strongly today as they did when it first premiered over 60 years ago. At its core is a poignant portrayal of a family man trying to raise his five daughters to honour the traditions of his Jewish faith, there is humour, joy, enormous poignancy and an abundance of heart.

Tom Scutt’s rustic design sets the scene beautifully, the straw ceiling upon which the fiddler plays gently moves up and down ensuring our focus never shifts from Tevye’s intimate and fascinating world. Aideen Malone’s stunning lighting design is subtle yet superb, bathing the Palace Theatre stage with rising dawn sunsets and flickering firelight glows.

Matthew Woodyatt’s Tevye is breathtakingly brilliant, warm, nuanced, reflective, loving and painfully real. His observations, considerations and deliberations are delivered with captivating authenticity. This is a performance packed with huge emotion, every moment is perfectly measured whilst he balances the turmoil Tevye goes through with a palpable realism. The journey he takes Tevye on is entirely mesmerising, ending the show a different man from the one we first meet at the start of Act I.

Jodie Jacobs’ performance as Tevye’s wife, Golde, is equally as impressive. Respectful of her husband’s desperate need to uphold tradition yet strong and resolute in her own sense of self, the two make for a perfect pairing. Their rendition of Do You Love Me? is a joy, relatable and real.

As Tevye’s daughters begin one by one to move away from the traditional Matchmaker approach to finding a suitable husband the battle between head and heart really begins for Tevye. Woodyatt does an incredible job of taking us with him on this captivating journey, we share in his joy, his frustrations and his pain.

Woodyatt and Jacobs are supported by an incredible cast. Each and every person on stage is entirely committed to telling this beautiful story. Special mention must go to Natasha Jules Bernard, Hannah Bristow and Georgia Bruce who play Tevye’s daughters Tzeitel, Hodel and Chava. Each bring their very different characters to life beautifully, adding further depth and heart to this moving tale while their partners Motel, Perchik and Fyedka are portrayed superbly by Dan Wolff, Greg Bernstein and Gregor Milne.

Choreographer Julia Cheng respectfully mixes the traditional with the modern resulting in exhilarating ensemble numbers that will make you wish you too were part of the uplifting celebrations. The traditional bottle dance remains and is just as thrilling as ever. The additional orchestrations from music supervisor Mark Aspinall really take this score to the next level while sound designer Nick Lidster ensures that every note is crystal clear.

This is without doubt the best production of Fiddler on the Roof I’ve ever seen, from the fiddlers haunting melodies delivered superbly by Roman Lytwyniw to the sheer beauty of Tom Scrutt’s set design this production is perfection. This timeless classic is stunningly reimagined yet maintains a respectfully traditional feel cementing its place as a musical theatre masterpiece.

Fiddler on the Roof is on at Manchester’s Palace Theatre until Saturday 1st November tickets available here.

Kindertransport

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Opening Night verdict ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Timely and relevant, Diane Samuels’ absorbing play Kindertransport opened at Manchester’s Opera House last night.

Focussing on the remarkable time when child refugees were welcome on our shores as thousands of frightened Jewish children were forced to flee Nazi Germany between 1938 and 1940 to the safety of Great Britain.

In this Anne Simon directed production we focus on one such child, a young Jewish girl named Eva who is sent to the safety of Manchester by her desperate mother Helga, to live a hopefully free life under the protection of foster family Mr & Mrs Miller. As Eva matures she moves further and further away from her past, changing her name to Evelyn and locking away every reminder of her tragic origins in the attic. One day Evelyn’s daughter Faith discovers the documents, uncovering the truth about her mother’s complex beginnings and forcing Evelyn to face up to her past and relive her haunting nightmares.

There is a recurrent figure brought to life in Evelyn’s evocative memories, the Ratchatcher, a creeping, lurking and terrifying child catcher portrayed by Matthew Brown to interesting effect. He is a haunting reminder of Evelyn’s childhood fears and now adult guilt, he is however in large parts unseen as he fails to creep far enough into vision on many occasion, a great element that could have been exceptional sadly poorly orchestrated.

Leila Schaus makes for a compelling and believable Eva, she fully embodies the role of frightened, frustrated child while portraying beautifully the shattered innocence of a young evacuee whose childhood is gradually destroyed by the horrors of war.

Jenny Lee is excellent as the vociferous Lil, as the Mancunian Mother she brings some welcome laughter to this poignant drama.

Suzan Slyvester and Hannah Bristow in their roles as Evelyn and Faith portray a difficult and cold mother/daughter relationship. Lacking in warmth, they are spiky and cruel to each other, as Evelyn wallows in her misery and Faith lacks the compassion to empathise with her mother’s plight.

Past and present appear on stage simultaneously to great effect with Nic Farman’s atmospheric lighting gently but convincingly differentiates between the two.

The production features some strong performances with a visually impressive set from Marie-Luce Theis it just doesn’t quite impact the way this moving exploration on the effects of war should do. That said it is a compelling and educational production which puts the spotlight firmly on the lasting plight of the innocent during war, something that should always be at the forefront of our minds.

On at the Opera House until Saturday 5th May tickets available time.

Jane Eyre

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First staged at the Bristol Old Vic, where the story was performed over two evenings, director Sally Cookson brings her acclaimed production on tour, presenting Bronte’s much loved classic as a thrilling and inventive performance beautifully staged in the Lowry’s Lyric theatre.

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While many will be familiar with the story of Jane Eyre for some it’s one of those novels that you may have always intended to read but never quite got there, it is the biography of orphan girl Jane Eyre (Nadia Clifford) and bares striking similarity to Brontë’s own life, raised in the North of England Jane is taken in by her Uncle after the heartbreaking death of her parents, much to the disgust of his cruel wife, Jane’s Aunt, Mrs Reed (Lynda Rooke). When Jane’s Uncle becomes unwell, he asks Mrs Reed to promise to raise Jane as her own, sadly although she provides a house for Jane to dwell in she certainly doesn’t offer the love and warmth of the promised home subjecting Jane to a life of misery and abuse from not just her Aunt but her Cousins as well. At 10 years old she shipped off to Lowood, a school for orphaned girls, where she continues to experience a cruel and unforgiving life, despite this Jane manages to form a strong bond with her school friend Helen Burns (Hannah Bristow), tragedy however is never far away and Jane suffers more gut-wrenching loss.

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Eventually Jane becomes a teacher at Lowood but yearns for change and adventure, she advertises herself as a Governess and is soon summoned to Thornfield Hall to educate Edward Rochester’s (Tim Delap) French ward Adele. As the developing friendship between Jane and Rochester begins to build strange happenings within the house start to occur risking both the safety and the future of both Jane and Rochester.

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The staging of this production is immediately striking upon entering the theatre; set designer Michael Vale uses wooden pallets to create various levels and platforms accompanied by multiple ladders and steps which are used to maximum effect by the cast. Aideen Malone’s lighting design is bold and dynamic, creating and changing the atmosphere dramatically throughout the production.

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The small cast take on a multitude of roles throughout the play and are magnificent, their characterisation outstanding and utterly captivating. They strive to ensure we see Brontë’s work is just as relevant today as it was then; they deliver each and every character with commitment and style. The piece feels fresh and inspiring as the spirited and strong Jane fights for her own freedom and fulfilment. Jane is told early on in the play after being punished by her Aunt in the red room, “Perhaps you should learn to keep your passions under control” something we soon realise is a thing Jane in order to be true to herself could never do. Nadia Clifford is superb in the role of Jane, yearning for liberty and adventure her spirit is strong and her need for fulfilment, physically, spiritually and mentally never wavers. Clifford is mesmerising, charismatic and captivating you immediately warm to her and are desperate for her to succeed. Sally Cookson uses several cast members to verbalise Jane’s inner thoughts, this works beautifully, illustrating just how strong and determined Jane truly is as she battles with herself to do what she believes is right as heart-breaking as it may be.

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Melanie Marshall as Bertha Mason, the ‘lunatic in the attic,’ is superb, frequently appearing through musical interludes her vocals are hauntingly brilliant and pack a real punch. The effect feels almost like a musical narrative, with hugely inventive and highly original song choices that flow beautifully from one scene to the next offering more depth to an already magnificent production. The entire cast give their all; they make for a tight ensemble and move fluidly from one role to the next, accompanied by on stage musicians who add a further creative layer to this inventive piece.

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Jane Eyre is a truly exceptional piece of theatre, groundbreaking and utterly captivating. Brontë’s much loved masterpiece is delivered with freshness and intelligence, you can’t help but think how pleased she would be to see her Jane portrayed with such heart and soul. The National Theatre in partnership with Bristol Old Vic once again succeed in bringing a true masterpiece to life, full of passion, intensity and originality, an absolute must see.

Photo credits Brinkhoff/Mögenburg

On at the Lowry until Saturday 15th April https://www.thelowry.com/events/jane-eyre