As a lone fiddler plays the haunting introduction to Fiddler on the Roof, what initially appears to be a wheat field, slowly transforms into a thatched roof and an effective canopy over the small village of Anatevke. And thus, the audience is drawn into this wonderful production about the everyday lives of a group of Jewish peasants in early 20th century Ukraine.

Originating from a collection of stories gathered by Sholem Rabinovitz in the early 1960s, these tales were woven into a book by Joseph Stein before being transformed into the musical phenomenon we know today. This particular production is on tour from the Regents Park Theatre in London, and is world class in every way: from its setting and choreography, to its acting and musical performances.

The staging is ingenious throughout, its simplicity enhancing its efficacy, particularly in the dream sequence where costumes and setting are truly transportive. This extends to the company’s minimalist use of props as well.

The casting is superb and each actor is genuinely perfect for their role. Matthew Woodyatt has very big shoes to fill as Tevye, in a role that for so many years was synonymous with the late Topol. Woodyatt more than rises to the occasion, with a performance that combines great acting and comic timing with his strong baritone singing voice. Beverley Klein is a very convincing as the interfering and shrewd Yente, while Dan Wolff as Motel the tailor epitomises an over enthusiastic, slightly gauche and goofy, young man.

Nevertheless, it is the cohesion of the whole cast and their slick delivery which stands out above everything As The action moves seamlessly from raucous nuptial celebrations to more contrasting poignant scenes, the cast displays a significant athleticism and energy.

When Fiddler on the Roof was first contrived, there was scepticism that a story about the lives of Jewish peasants in a Russian shtetl would capture the public imagination. However, in so many ways, this is a story with universal themes of love and loss that resonate across borders and cultures. It’s about the upholding of long standing traditions, but also the friction that modernity and change places on them. It has as much relevance today as ever, and its setting in what is now modern Ukraine and the ultimate pogrom against this small Jewish population stand as sad reminders that in many ways little has changed since Fiddler’s setting in the latter stages of the 19th century.

This is one of the best and most moving productions of this musical.