By Andrew Turner

And so, as the Epsom Playhouse enters its 26th year in providing the best of musicals, tributes and comedy, I took myself to a production of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ on Friday 29th January, performed by the Leatherhead Operatic Society.

‘Fiddler on the Roof’ takes place in the small village of Anatevka in Russia in 1905, as Tevye, a milkman, begins preparations for the Sabbath meal with his family, consisting of his wife, Golde, and his five daughters. Slowly, but surely, the tightly held traditions of the Jewish community begin to fall apart, as Tevye’s daughters begin to find husbands in ways that go against the faith, and all the while the Tsar’s force take their grip on the villages of Russia by evicting the Jewish people.

Ultimately, this sounds like a cheerless tale, but the whole show rings with a wonderful optimism, perfectly put forward by the cast. I am a great fan of ‘Fiddler on the Roof’ and, if there was any way I would want it to be performed, it would be in the fashion that LOS achieved. The quality was beyond that of any amateur production I have seen; the show was slick and exact, and the strength of the cast through songs, dances and acting ability was truly incredible.

And, clearly, I was not the only one who thought so. Even after only the first half, as I followed the crowd into the lobby and listened carefully to the chatter of audience members, I caught words like ‘fantastic’, ‘brilliant’ and ‘fabulous’, and there was not a negative comment in the clamour.

I feel guilty pinpointing one aspect of the show that I found particularly excellent, because I feel like I am being unfair to the rest of the outstanding cast, but I think the wondrous performance of Tevye by Lee Power deserves an honourable mention. He embodied everything about this central character that is required; the optimism, the comedy and the emotional vigour of Power’s performance was truly fantastic, carrying the spirit of the show on his shoulders. Of course, that is not to downgrade Rachel Yelland’s performance as Golde, the chemistry between her and Tevye being the emotional and comic soul of the show.

That said, there is little to doubt the skill of all of LOS’s members, whose professionalism made for a superb night out at the theatre. I will be sure to watch out for future productions of theirs. Mazeltov!