Fiddler On The Roof - performed May 1984
By Joseph Stein & Jerry Bock
Performed with the kind permission of Samuel French
Director - Dennis Murfitt
Cast
(in order of appearance)
| Tevye - the milkman | Dennis Murfit |
| Golde - his wife | Val Taylor |
| Tzeitel - daughter | Yvonne Cobbold |
| Hodel - daughter | Sue Edmund |
| Chava - daughter | Charlotte Parsons |
| Shprintze - daughter | Heather Steel |
| Bielke - daughter | Julia Wilshaw |
| Constable | Duncan Breckels |
| Yente - the matchmaker | Viv Wheatley |
| Motel - the tailor | Adrian Bolton |
| Perchik - the student | David Turrell |
| Lazar Wolf - the butcher | Ron Colbourne |
| Mordcha - the innkeeper | Geoffrey Austin |
| Rabbi | Allan Breckels |
| Mendel - his son | Michael Caven |
| Avram - the bookseller | Herbert Yeates |
| Nachum - the begger | Duncan Breckels |
| Grandma Tzeitel | Wendy Colbourne |
| Fruma - Sarah | Janet Cousins |
| Shandel - Motel's mother | Brenda Chapman |
| The Fiddler | David Warner |
| Fyedka | Nigel Rowe |
| Villagers, Russians and Dancers | Sue Harvey John Watson Linda Warner Marion Boyce Judy Hussey Christopher Meade Vincent Noyce Jonathon Taylor Hilda Breckels Gill Baxter Diane Woodley Alison Brett Gillian Riley Bill Chapman Fabian Breckels Allison Hawkins. |
Production Team
Peter Westbrook, Jenny Rollings, Bill Kempster, Geoffrey Taylor, Kevin Brown, Derek Cobbold, Carol Shakespeare, Tracey Amoss, Lisa Scattergood, Sheila Horton, Val Taylor, Maurice Barber, Rosemary Double, Ian Tucker, Greg Garrod, Bruce Emeny
The Musical
Attempting to live a normal life filled with Jewish traditions in early twentieth century Russia, Tevye, a dairyman, is searching for appropriate husbands for his three eldest daughters - Tzeital, Hodel and Chava. In a break of tradition, his daughters refuse to accept the wishes of the matchmaker, Yente, and their father. Instead, the marry men that they love. Meanwhile, Russians are instigating terrible pogroms against the Jewish people in Russia. In the end, the Jews of Anatevka are forced to leave their homes and Tevye is determined to start a better life in a new land.Reviews
"Without our tradition our lives would be as shaky as a Fiddler on the Roof."So sets the scene for the Manifest's latest production - and nothing about it is shaky. The play is balanced, witty and entertaining.
Dennis Murfitt's production and direction bring the enjoyment back - nothing so tedious as the recent television film.
In the leading role Dennis Murfitt is funny and sometimes tragic,nicely paired off with Val Taylor as the long-suffering wife Golde.
As well as the old favourites, new members of Manifest bring a sparkle to the stage. Sue Edmund, is lively as Hodel the second daughter, and her well trained voice brings more depth to the talented theatre group.
Younger daughter Chava, played by Charlotte Parsons, also deserves a special mention.
The theatre group has never taken on such a challenge, yet it has paid off, just as past efforts have proved rewarding.
Huge casts for musical numbers such as Tradition, the Sabbath Prayer, Tevye's Dream and Sunrise Sunset need careful arrangement - credit should go to the musical director Patience Ling who also provides piano accompaniment throughout the evening.
With percussion by Greg Garrod and Pauline Rowe, Mrs Ling keeps the whole performance flowing, and sets the atmosphere for every scene.
David Turrell as Perchik the radical student, Ron Colbourne as jilted butcher Lazar Wolf, Geoffrey Austin as the innkeeper and Adrian Bolton as Motel the tailor, all fit perfectly under their hats.
Russia's answer to dateline, Viv Wheatley's Yente the matchmaker, typifies the obsolete tradition highlighted in the play, and brings several laughs from the full house.
Sue Wallis
Photo Shoot
to be identified
(click on an image below to view a larger photo - arrow keys navigate through the set)
