Fiddler on the Roof

Review - media-culture.org.au 

The Toowong based Ignatians Musical Society is a Brisbane amateur theatrical institution which has regularly presented musicals for decades. Their latest presentation Fiddler on the Roof is a conventional and reliable production, completely unpretentious and at moments charming. However, considering the energy and strength of the group, this ‘Sunday roast and two veg’ of the theatre scene is frustrated by its own conservatism. Occasionally, professional alternative theatre in Brisbane is guilty of settling for idea over substance, seduced by the wit of its plastic fantastic ideas without developing them to full fruition. Fiddler on the Roof suffers from no such lack of thoroughness; its aspirations are no less than Broadway on a budget. Whilst professional theatre seeks ‘authentic’ voices, occasionally at the expense of coherence, amateur theatre appears grounded in mimicking the stylistics of professional performance without looking to the content and bringing out more personal interpretations. 

Fiddler on the Roof is set in 1905 amongst the persecuted and poor Jewish community of a Russian village. The unfortunate Tevye (Neville Hillier) has five daughters who he attempts to marry off to elderly men willing to take a bride without a dowry. However the independent minded girls find husbands of their own which, to their parents’ horror, include a poor tailor, a student revolutionary and a gentile Russian. Thus the ‘tradition’ that keeps the community strong is undermined by changes, the quest for individual freedom and the sacred omnipotence of romantic love. Fiddler on the Roof has a surreally harrowing social and political context, especially significant to the suddenly relevant issues of refugees and racism. But by the genre’s nature this is glossed over with a wink and song. 

The Ignatians strongest and most pleasing work is as a group. In chorus the singing was quite beautiful, the dance scenes impressively spirited, and there was an obvious enthusiasm and close relationship within the society. The individual performances were varied and needed more self-assurance, losing some of the jokes in the delivery. The valiant efforts at Russian and Jewish accents wavered at times, and it appeared that too much work went into giving an impersonation rather than interpreting the character. Despite lending local colour, the accents seemed a hindrance. 

Hillier was excellent and provided each scene with a tremendous amount of energy, though did not always have enough support from the generally very sound cast around him. There were many very able and lively performances that sometimes lacked confidence and the rapport between the characters was a little stilted at times. The music was respectable, despite a few weak voices in supporting roles. The songs themselves were memorable and heartily performed and the orchestra, whilst small, was brassy and brilliant. The staging abounded with headscarves and wooden buildings and was a little gloomy. As indication of the company’s potential in this area, there is a remarkable scene is where Tevye is haunted. Using Jim Henson style puppetry and the cast surreally reeling around in party hats, Tevye’s dream is hilarious and exciting. The play could do with more of this panache by which to best accentuate the energy that is there. 

All things given, Ignatians’ production is a traditional musical, staged traditionally by an amateur theatre company. It is predicable and conventional but it is also popular and of a reliable standard. It has an archaic charm that may not do justice to the enthusiasm and talent of the society but nonetheless entertains its appreciative audiences year after year.  

Reviewed by Emma Nelms (www.media-culture.org.au)