Latest news with #FiddlerOnTheRoof
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Joanne Froggatt looks chic in a black dress as she joins Ranvir Singh at the Fiddler on the Roof musical press night
looked chic as she joined Ranvir Singh at the Fiddler On The Roof musical press night on Tuesday. Attending the event the Barbican Centre, London, the actress, 44, opted for an elegant black dress, with a deep V-neckline. Joanne cinched her outfit in with a belt, added a pair of heels and topped off her look with a classic Chanel handbag. Meanwhile, Ranvir, 47, wore a dark blue jumpsuit with cropped bottoms and a belted waist. The TV presenter added a quirky pair of suede shoes and styled her hair into loose waves to complete her look. From A-list scandals and red carpet mishaps to exclusive pictures and viral moments, subscribe to the DailyMail's new Showbiz newsletter to stay in the loop. Joanne was joined on the red carpet by Amy Nuttall, who looked stylish in a white shirt and bright red trousers. The outing comes after she opened up on how she believes travel unveils a feeling of insignificance that can really shift your perspective on life. The Mobland star revealed that after the collapse of her marriage five years ago, she checked into a £1,500 transcendental meditation retreat in Australia. Joanne was married to James Cannon for nearly eight years until their split in February 2020, which she has said threw her life 'in flux'. She said she was inspired to take a solo visit to Soma Byron Bay just after the split, by watching the TV series Nine Perfect Strangers starring Nicole Kidman. Speaking to travel industry expert Tanya Rose on Travel Secrets The Podcast, she recalled: 'I booked this retreat and it was an introduction to Ayurvedic meditation - some people call it transcendental meditation. 'Oh my goodness, it blew my mind. It was incredible. I went on my own. ' Byron Bay is just the most stunning place anyway, it's so beautiful. The beaches are amazing, it's a very lush, tropical landscape. It's just gorgeous.' Sir Lenny Henry and Lisa Makin smiled for a photo together on the red carpet The boutique 'wellness' getaway boasts a geodesic dome, an outdoor cinema, a swimming pool and a fire pit and was used for the filming of Nine Perfect Strangers in 2020. Joanne said she booked a transcendental meditation retreat that coincided with a job she had booked in Australia in 2022 after becoming 'obsessed' with the location when watching the show. The Liar star, who now has a nine-month-old daughter with her new partner, Mark Turner, gushed over the unique retreat and how she bonded with the other travellers. She explained: 'You rock up and there's a group of people there and there's Ayurvedic food for you. It was either couples of single people and you don't know anyone. You just spend this very intense but calm two and a half days together. 'It was such an incredible experience - not only learning the meditation technique, because I found that really powerful. 'Did I keep it up? No. I did for a while and it's a great tool to go back to and I wish I kept it up more. 'But what was so incredible about it was the setting was stunning, all of that just completely lived up to expectation - and some.' She went on: 'But it was just having that experience of being a solo traveller with a group of people that you didn't know and how we bonded and shared stories and went through this experience together and shared so much of our lives in conversation. 'And that to me is the magic of travelling anywhere. You could be on a bus in wherever it may be, you could be in a lovely meditation retreat in Byron Bay, but really what makes it is the people you meet and the people you're thrown in with and that you have these experiences with. 'It really brought it home. It was just such a magical couple of days away from the world. We saw a koala that lives in the forestry around there and there were just these really special quiet moments that felt really magical.'
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
PATRICK MARMION reviews Fiddler On The Roof's first night at the Barbican Theatre: Topol made the film sing, but this Fiddler dances to its own tune
Fiddler On The Roof (Barbican Theatre, London) Rating: The big musical in London's Barbican Theatre this summer is a joyous, but finally sombre, revival of the sixties classic about life in an East European shtetl in the early 20th century. The show is surely still best known from the 1971 film starring Chaim Topol as the hard-working, God-fearing milkman Tevye with five feisty daughters to marry off. But the great achievement of this Olivier Award-winning production (first seen in Regent's Park last year) is to stand squarely on its own feet – thanks largely to the terrific Adam Dannheisser as Tevye (alongside Lara Pulver as his wife Golde). He is a proper put-upon mensch, who dutifully drags the weight of his Jewish heritage behind him like the cart normally hauled by his lame horse. With a twinkle in his eye, Dannheisser is a big softy who brings heartiness, pathos and mischief to the part. Accompanied by a gangly violinist (Raphael Papo) who mirrors his inner pain, Tevye – and the show – are buoyed by Jerry Bock and Sheldon Harnick's music and lyrics, most famously in the stomp of Tradition, but also in the comic plea for God to smite him with a just small fortune in If I Were A Rich Man. American director Jordan Fein's production includes a glorious dream sequence resurrecting Golde's long-dead grandma. And Julia Cheng's reeling choreography is a riot –whether it's toasting Tevye's eldest daughter's betrothal in the tavern (ominously interrupted by menacing Cossacks), or at the actual wedding, which has celebrants spinning like huge black spiders with bottles balanced on their heads. Surrounded by grassland torched in a violent pogrom authorised by the Tsar, the second half takes a darker turn. And we are kept mindful of global events today – as Perchik, a suitor from Kyiv, warns Tevye: 'You can't close your eyes to what's happening in the world.' Fiddler On The Roof runs until July 19.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Fiddler on the Roof: The glorious revival moves indoors, and loses the wow factor
Fresh from winning three Olivier awards, Jordan Fein's superb Regent's Park revival of Fiddler on the Roof has been transplanted to form the big summer musical offering at the Barbican. Jerry Bock, Sheldon Harnick and Joseph Stein's instant 1964 Broadway classic about a toiling shtetl milkman contending with five daughters and a world in transition at the turn of the 20th century always does a roaring trade, but this loving iteration merits packed houses. Even so, I was also left wishing I'd caught the production at Regent's Park Open Air theatre last August. The alfresco setting clearly augmented the portrait of a Jewish community not snugly self-contained but vulnerable to the elements as well as brutish Russians. The dominant image of Tom Scutt's design is of wheat fields; indeed the evening memorably opens not with a fiddler on a roof but a fiddler (the talented, spectral Raphael Papo) atop a rising cross-section of burgeoning wheat field that forms an ominous canopy. That exquisite number late in Act One – Sunrise, Sunset – in which the locals gather to celebrate the marriage of Tzeitel (the milkman Tevye's eldest daughter) to the diffident tailor Motel, last year magically coincided with nightfall itself. Presented here amid candlelit gloom, the song still carries a spine-tingling charge. The pair have broken with tradition in seeking a love match (the days are hence numbered for Beverley Klein's tireless matchmaker Yente). The wistful ritualistic mood around them affirms vast cycles of nature. So even if the earthiness for which this incarnation was celebrated is less in evidence now, that's no reason to kvetch about the experience overall. Compared with his co-directing work on the recent stripped-back Oklahoma!, Fein privileges emotional truth over experimentation, the imperishable score rendered with musical heft and folksy simplicity, the lighting beautiful without being self-advertising. Julia Cheng's choreography, particularly in the famous bottle-balancing dance sequence, replete with precise, angular, sweeping leg moves, is a joy. Adam Dannheisser's commanding performance as Tevye is of a piece with this confident restraint. No actor can eclipse the ebullient memory of Zero Mostel or Topol and this American actor gives us instead a figure of grounded ordinariness and even surprising level-headedness. He has comic value, but he doesn't aim it at the gallery; when he sings If I Were a Rich Man, the village looks on, half amused, half sharing the dream too. He's an everyday father repeatedly tested by demands for independence by his daughters. (Natasha Jules Bernard, Hannah Bristow and Georgia Bruce are contrastingly spirited as the main three, Tzeitel, Chava and Hodel). Of course, there is a grim frisson – and a topical one – to the vision of collective displacement in the second half, but what resonates most is Tevye's agonised attempt to reconcile his paternal care with his devotion to his people, and his stern God. At a time of cultural upheaval, of daily concerns about what we must fight for, and discard, that hits home.
Telegraph
29-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Why this is a golden age for Jewish theatre
My Jewish mother does not go to the theatre often. But when she does, she sees Fiddler on the Roof. She has seen it so many times she could understudy any character at a moment's notice. In fairness she did attend a Pinter play once, but walked out at the first infamous Pinter Pause thinking it was the interval. Naturally she was ecstatic when the Open Air Regent's Park theatre revived Fiddler last year, even more so when a transfer to the Barbican (which has just opened) was announced. Garlanded with 13 nods at this year's Olivier awards, Jordan Fein's production matched the record set by Hamilton for the most nominations for a single show. Not bad for what Philip Roth once derided as 'shtetl kitsch.' In fact, Fiddler is not the only Jewish show to have become a critical hit in the past year. Principal among these was Mark Rosenblatt's Giant at the Royal Court, a fire-breathing study of Roald Dahl's virulent anti-Semitism; then there was Patrick Marber's production of What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, Nick Cassenbaum's After the Levoyah and the Marber-directed Nachtland. The popularity of Jewish-orientated shows seems incongruous when juxtaposed with skyrocketing anti-Semitism post October 7th. 2024 saw the second-highest recording of reported anti-Semitic incidents in a single calendar year according to the Community Security Trust, a charity which represents the UK's Jewish population. 'There have been countless examples of problems in the creative industries with soft boycotts and discrimination to anything with links to Israel' says literary agent and producer Neil Blair. 'I'm sure that Jewish writers have been scared to express their Jewishness as they fear they won't get published. It's been a tough time to be a proud Jew.' London theatre has seen numerous high-profile incidents of anti-Semitic controversies. Ken Loach 's 1987 production of Perdition was pulled from public performances at the Royal Court before the first preview. Historians declared Jim Allen's play historically unsound and deeply anti-Semitic. In 2011 Caryl Churchill's Seven Jewish Children also premiered to a chorus of opprobrium from across the British-Jewish community, once again at the Court. A recent new production produced by actor Brian Cox revived the contentious debate over the extent to which it straddles the murky line between anti-Zionism and anti-Semitism. 'And look what happened with Rare Earth Mettle' says Blair. Once again attached to the Court, Al Smith's 2021 play sparked outcry over 'Hershel Fink' an Elon Musk-inspired character with an unmistakably Jewish name seemingly imbued with anti-Semitic traits, even though the character was not written to be Jewish. The original name surfaced in preview performances before it was changed. The production still went ahead. 'It's astonishing that the theatre had initially claimed that they didn't realise Fink is a Jewish name,' says Blair. A consequent internal report found that despite the fact that the name had been twice flagged as potentially offensive in the play's development and rehearsal period the creative team kept the name. The theatre would go on to apologise 'unreservedly.' Jewish creatives have played a significant role in theatre since the early 20th century. Immigrants from Russia and Eastern Europe laid the artistic foundation stones of Broadway and the Jewish influence could be seen not only in explicitly Jewish shows like Fiddler, but also in productions which mirror the dynamics of the Jewish diaspora. Stories of overcoming the odds and forging a new home in America parallel the immigrant struggles of artists such as George Gershwin and Irving Berlin. Neither has there been a shortage of Jewish voices in the West End. Harold Pinter and Tom Stoppard are arguably the two most influential dramatists of the 20 th century, then there are directors such as Peter Brook and Jonathan Miller, and even critics, Milton Shulman and Bernard Levin, the so-called kosher butchers. But it would be rare to see Jewish artistic self-expression in mainstream spaces that paralleled Broadway. The theatrical tradition in London was already richly established, with its own inheritance, traditions, and artistic canon. Jewish dramatists, usually second-generation immigrants, had to assimilate their storytelling, allowing it to lurk only beneath the surface. This was certainly the case with Harold Pinter. While the linguistic rhythms of Pinter's early work mirror the broken English of Eastern European immigrants, it's detectable on a narrative level too. Pinter drew from his childhood in Hackney for The Homecoming. Ruth can be easily interpreted as a non-Jewish woman marrying into a Jewish household overseen by a paranoid patriarch. Pinter took inspiration from a childhood friend who 'married out' – a transgressive violation considered to be a personal and cultural betrayal. Initial drafts set the action in the East End and referred to an unseen character named 'Berkowitz,' eventually exorcised from the final draft. Recent success at the Oliviers signals a paradigm shift in Jewish on-stage representation as dramatists openly interrogate the idiosyncrasies of contemporary Jewishness on mainstream stages. Rising anti-Semitism, war in Israel, consequent tension within the community are fertile dramatic soil ripe for theatrical exploration. Audiences, both Jewish and non-Jewish, are listening. 'Intelligent pieces of theatre are striking a chord because audiences want nuanced debate' says Tracy-Ann Oberman whose reworked version of The Merchant of Venice relocated the action to London's East End in 1936 under the looming shadow of Mosley's black shirts. After an initial run at the Watford Palace Theatre it embarked on a national tour as well as two West End runs. 'It's been on a journey for two and half years; the positive responses and interest from audiences across the country has warmed my heart,' she says. Oberman admits that its commercial success was unexpected, especially when compared with traditionally lucrative hits such as Fiddler on the Roof. Like Giant it was conceived before October 7 th but came to take on a new meaning in light of growing anti-Semitism. 'The Merchant of Venice showed what anti-Semitism looked like in 1936, that came to resonate with the rise of anti-Jewish racism today, especially how a lot of the vernacular about anti-Zionism bleeds into anti-Semitism' says Oberman. 'People understand that nothing is as black and white as some would have us believe. Art is the best way to show that.' Since the Hershel Fink debacle at the Royal Court, Oberman is adamant there has been significant progress around boosting awareness of Jewish culture. Questions over authentic casting and cultural appropriation are more prominent to the extent that the costume designer of the new production of Oliver! rang Oberman to run by ideas for Fagin's costume to ensure respect of cultural sensitives. 'The fact that he was willing to make that call with me was a huge step forward. If this is a Golden Age, then it's one of renewed understanding and consideration towards Jewish culture,' she says. As a consequence, Oberman has noticed more writers and artists wearing their Jewishness proudly on their sleeve. Perhaps other creative industries could take a leaf out of theatre's book. The ultimate test for this golden age is if Giant transfers to New York - not outside the realm of impossibility after its Olivier success. It is currently playing at the Harold Pinter Theatre – my mother has bought a ticket at my behest.
Daily Mail
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I'm a straight woman and my husband is a gay man - people always ask us what happens in the bedroom
A straight woman has opened up about sleeping with her gay husband after revealing that they are trying for a baby together. Samantha Greenstone, 37, and Jacob Hoff, 31, from Los Angeles, first met when they both auditioned for the play Fiddler on the Roof a decade ago. Despite Jacob identifying as gay and Samantha being straight, the pair started to date after experiencing a strong connection with each other that transcends 'plain old sexuality'. The actors - who are monogamous - tied the knot at the end of 2024 and have since attracted many fans who are curious about their bond, especially since divulging that they are trying to start a family. The couple took to their Instagram accounts, where they shared almost 480,000 followers between them, to address the question on everyone's lips - do they sleep together? 'Yes and not just side by side under the covers,' Samantha said, while Jacob added: 'No and we don't just cut a hole in the sheet either.' She responded: 'Nope we do it the good old fashioned way. If you're confused by what that means, then it's not our job to teach you the birds and the bees. That responsibility relies on your parents.' Jacob chimed in and said: 'I know it's mind-bending to a lot of you to be like "Well he's gay, how can he be sleeping with a woman?" This isn't a woman, this is my wife, this is my soulmate, my partner.' 'I am a woman, I know that someone is going to be like "Wait a minute, she's not a woman, is she a man then?" Because you've got to spell things out for people sometimes. 'It's just a matter of saying that this isn't a surface level connection. It's so deep, it's so intimate. It's two people just coming together - two souls coming together. That's it, there's none of that ephemeral beauty nonsense on top of it. Samantha ended the video by describing their love as 'pure, amazing and holy,' and captioned it: 'Since you asked - how else does one try and make a baby?' The video racked up almost one million views and had a mixed response from users as some expressed support for the couple, but others seemed puzzled. One wrote: 'I'm still so confused. So he is bi?' Another penned: 'I'll never get it but that's on me. Love that you answer questions!' A third said: 'You two are both so precious,' and a fourth commented: 'I'm so obsessed with you both.' But Jacob gets frustrated when he sees comments questioning his sexuality, telling The Mirror: 'We get a lot of, 'well how is Jacob ever going to be fulfilled by not being expressing his gayness?' That's where I see a little bit of the bigotry come in, because it's like, 'oh, you think because I'm gay I'm less loyal to a person? The video racked up almost one million views and had a mixed response from users as some expressed support for the couple, but others seemed puzzled 'Just because I'm gay doesn't mean that I would ever be less loyal. In a relationship, you wake up and choose your person every day, and that's the same no matter what dynamic.' They insist that theirs is not a 'lavender marriage' - which is where one partner is heterosexual and the other is covertly homosexual or bisexual and are using the relationship to hide their sexuality - and are monogamous. Samantha told the outlet: 'To us, marriage is a sacred thing, and we are old-fashioned in the sense that we just want to be with one another. We don't want to open the relationship up, we want that traditional family.' Despite identifying as gay, Jacob started dating Samantha in 2017 and the pair got engaged at the end of 2023. Jacob recalled the first time he met his soulmate and said that he first noticed her laugh during their audition, telling the New York Times: 'From the lobby, I heard Samantha's cackle at the end of the song and instantly thought whoever just made that sound is an immaculate human.' After they were both cast in the show, they became closer when rehearsals started and 'never stopped hanging out pretty much every single day after.' However, Samantha noted she was 'living in utter confusion' after realizing her feelings for Hoff were for more than friendship and felt a powerful 'magnetism' towards him. She even went to an energy healer for advice, who claimed the pair 'share a spiritual umbilical cord.' Samantha made the nerve-wracking decision to text Jacob and admit her feelings to him, which he reciprocated but was nervous about. 'I was like, "Oh my goodness. I can't believe she did this,"' Jacob recalled. 'The answer was yes. But then I was scared. I thought, "If I can't make this work physically, it could ruin everything."' 'I am gay,' Jacob explained. 'And as a gay person, you can keep your identity as that even if your relationship doesn't match that.
