The last time Australian audiences saw a production of Fiddler On The Roof, the star of the show was the legendary Chaim Topol. There are few Australian musical actors who have the star power to step into Topol's shoes, but Anthony Warlow makes his leading turn as Tevye look easy.
Built up around its leading man, this production has plenty of delightful, charming performances — Mark Mitchell throws himself into duet To Life and Sigrid Thornton has plenty of wit and bite as Tevye's wife Golde — but surprisingly one of the few actors to really step out of Warlow's shadow is young actor Monica Swayne. Playing Tevye's second eldest daughter Hodel, Swayne's comedic expressions and energy in Matchmaker, Matchmaker are given a beautiful counter-point when she really taps into the melancholy heart of Far From The Home I Love in the second half. A story of Jewish tradition and exile set at the beginning of last century in Russia, this production of Fiddler plays itself out on a simple and effective set of wooden matchstick houses where the comforts of home easily overcome a lack of wealth. And family is more important than anything, even traditions.
