Review by Allison Thomas
June 2017
David Gauci is perfect in the role of the larger than life Teyve, the Jewish milkman and he obviously relishes the role. Anne Doherty made the most of her supporting role and they were both delightful in the romantic duet “Do you love me?”
Singing and dancing to a packed Opening Night, the whole cast performed admirably. Stand outs for me were Nathan Quadrio as Perchik, the Russian scholar, and Ruby Pinkerton as Hodel. Karen Inwood as Yente the gossipy matchmaker ably provided comic relief. Teyve also had some great sayings (as the Good Book says…!), which touched the audience’s funny bones! So many memorable lines and great songs – reflecting the Jewish wisdom, philosophy of life and religion in the small Russian town of Anatevka – had everyone laughing and loving the show.
Nick Spotiswoode’s scenery design was simple, reflecting the village and era, very well painted (especially the beams in the inn) and cunningly designed for the frequent scene changes.
Although it was a long performance, time was lost as we were drawn into the private lives of the characters. Choreography by Kerry Hauber was superb and well rehearsed by all the dancers. I especially enjoyed the Bottle Dance at the wedding. Costumes were suitable for the period by Sandra Davis. Peter Johns’ musical direction enhanced the singers and dancers, and the balance of sound was very good. I’m still humming the tunes!
Fiddler on the Roof is one of the best musicals I’ve seen this year. It’s nearly booked out, so I hope you can enjoy it this month as much as I did!
Above Photo: David Gauci as Teyve
