A topical tale of tradition - here's what we thought of Fiddler on the Roof at Sunderland Empire

From the very beginning, this show was destined for the standing ovation it received on opening night.

As the curtain rose the grainfields the audience were greeted with ascended, carrying with them the Fiddler – Olivier Award nominee Raphael Papo.

His haunting violin accompanied the show’s most touching, tender and at times raw moments.

Throughout the performance Papo’s contributions linked and heightened scenes. Every single time his fiddle on the roof was heard it was like a siren going off, alerting you to dangers or drama ahead.

Set in 1905; and based on a series of stories written between 1895 and 1915 by Sholem Aleichem, the plot surrounds Jewish dairyman Tevye – outstandingly played by Matthew Woodyatt.

It is a tale of tradition and its challenges in an ever changing world – and yet more than a century on this production illustrates that as times change, so they stay the same.

As this week the world’s leaders scramble for a solution to the modern day conflict in Ukraine, Tevye’s tale takes place in what was then Russia but is now western Ukraine.

As the plot unfolds, warnings that trouble is coming become stronger and firmer. In the closing scenes people are forced to leave their traditional lands. We can only hope that real life in modern times provides a happier denouement.

Tevye’s immediate challenge is to see his five daughters successfully married. His own marriage to Golde (Jodie Jacobs) has been a traditional arranged wedding. The couple’s duet where he consistently asks if his wife actually loves him is the highlight of the second half.

One after another, their daughters fall in love and arrange their own marriages, with Tevye wrestling with his faith and traditional beliefs, and his love for his girls.

It is a story that envelopes the audience as they see the genuine goodness in Tevye and the hopes and aspirations of a younger generation in a changing world.

Throughout the production Aideen Malone’s subdued lighting appears to be powered by a 40 watt bulb. This illustrates the darkness of the drama, which is complemented by the subdued colours of Lucy Martin’s austere costume design.

The Empire specialises in feel-good singalong spectaculars, but this is a more serious work than many. That’s not to say you can’t singalong.

In fact whether you want to or not you’ll be singing, ‘If I was a rich man’ for days afterwards, with ‘Matchmaker’ and ‘Sunrise, Sunset’ not far behind. Fiddler on the Roof is highly entertaining but has more meat and meaning than many a show.

That standing ovation happened for a reason. You only have until Saturday (November 29) to see this in Sunderland.

Act quicker than the world’s leaders and get there.

Review by Rob Mason.