Trevor Nunn will return to the Menier Chocolate Factory later this year for a major new staging of the much-loved classic Fiddler On the Roof.
Running from 5 December 2018 until 9 March 2019, with previews from 23 November, the production will be the first in London in over a decade, and marks a re-kindling of the acclaimed director’s successful relationship with the prestigious venue that resulted in hit productions of Aspects of Love and a revival of A Little Night Music which transferred to both the West End and Broadway.
With a book by Joseph Stein, music by Jerry Bock and lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, Fiddler On the Roof is based on Tevye and his Daughters (Tevye the Dairyman), a series of stories by author and playwright Sholem Aleichem written in Yiddish between 1894 and 1914 about Jewish life in a village in Imperial Russia at the turn of the twentieth century.
Debuting on Broadway in 1964, Fiddler On the Roof became the first musical theatre production to play over 3,000 performances and held the record for the longest-running Broadway musical for nearly ten years before losing the top spot to Grease. Featuring Zero Mostel in the iconic role of Tevye the milkman, the show collected nine Tony Awards and was followed by five successful Broadway revivals.
The show debuted in the West End in 1967 with Israeli actor Topol as Tevye, the role he had previously played in the Tel Aviv production of the show. His performance in the role would lead to his casting in Norman Jewison’s Oscar-winning film version, launching the star’s international career.
The musical was first revived in London in 1983 for a four-week season at the Apollo Victoria Theatre with Topol reprising his performance as Tevye. The star would also return in 1994 for two months at the London Palladium before headlining the UK touring production.
The last London revival which starred Henry Goodman, opened at the Savoy Theatre in 2007, following a launch run at the Sheffield Crucible. The most recent UK production in 2017, featuring comedy favourite Omid Djalili, was one of the highlights of Daniel Evans and Rachel Tackley’s first season at the Chichester Festival Theatre.
Angela Thomas
SHARE THIS POST:
Comments are closed.