A Review of the Eglesfield Musical Fiddler on the Roof

One of the delights of being a reviewer during the warmer months is undoubtedly the Queens College musical. Each year Eglesfield Musical Society put together an outdoor spectacle which leaves you wondering what they can possibly do next that will live up to the established expectation. This year the lawns at Queens are graced by Fiddler on the Roof, which I will admit is a musical that I was only vaguely acquainted with. The creative team bring this story to life with as much diligence as previous years, but the question remains – does it live up to the expectation?

Fiddler on the Roof tells the story of a poor Jewish family within their wider community, the trials and tribulations of everyday struggles and romances set against the backdrop of more serious political turmoil. Arguably the overarching story is a sad one, but also one which is filled with plenty of humour and joyous moments. From the opening, the tone is set by Magdalena Lacey-Hughes’s impeccable choreography, each routine being a pleasure to witness and perfectly executed. As a whole the visual performance is well designed, being bested only by the wonderful voices exhibited upon the stage.

Each year one can always been assured that the musical will showcase some of the best voices present within the university and this year is no different. It is wonderful to see new faces joining the team, while always a pleasure to see returning performers. I could begin a roll call of those actors worthy of note, but suffice to say that this would require listing all of them and with such a large ensemble cast we may be here a while. One particularly memorable moment is certainly Madeleine Murphey’s performance of ‘Do You Love Me?’. Throughout the entire production Jacob Ostfeld’s Tevye carries the story with an incredible array of emotions, each experience being brought to life with authenticity and skill. Ostfeld sets the bar high in his performance and each of his co-stars accepts the challenge with equal talent. While every performer is a joy to watch, it is Anneka Vetter’s Yente who steals the show with her eccentric matchmaker ways.

While we are discussing performances, it would be remiss of me not to mention Matthew Rodgers whose clarinet solos are definitely a highlight of the show. After years of playing in the orchestra he finally gets his moment in the limelight, drunkenly mingling with the actors during various celebratory moments. I commend the orchestra as a whole for once again doing a fantastic job.

There will always be little niggles, things that didn’t go quite to plan and I feel that on the evening I saw the show the main hiccup came from the sound department. With late mic queues and something definitely amiss with Joe Baszczak’s mic in the first half, there were at times challenges when it came to hearing what was being spoken and sung. But I am just nitpicking.

One notable difference from previous productions is the staging which appears to have shrunk drastically in size. This year the actors spend as much time on the grass as the stage, which proves something of a challenge for sightlines, particularly for those further back in the audience. While this set up allows for a larger audience, I do wonder whether it was worth the sacrifice, as there are certainly some moments of the performance’s subtlety that I (and no doubt others) missed.

If there are any tickets remaining, I wholeheartedly recommend seeing this musical. It is a wonderful rendition of the story and an excellent show as a whole. However, do be aware that this is a very lengthy performance with a first act longer than some Oxford shows’ runtime. For laughs, fun and a tale that will no doubt tug at the heartstrings, join EMS in Queens College this week.