Fiddler On The Roof

Richmond Theatre

May 1975

Producer & Choreographer – Sheila Searing
Musical Director – Geoffrey Bowyer

Jack Alcock writing for the Surrey Comet, Wednesday May 21st 1975 refers to the lead performance thus: ‘Richard Manuel’s Tevye is a towering performance. For those who know him to be a young man, his assumption of the gait, the bearing, the world-weary wisdom, even the vocal cast of an elder is a feat of concentration and sustained observation. ‘Richard of course went on to a highly successful singing and musical theatre career.

Following on from an idea first used for Anne of Green Gables the society arranged with the Post Office in Richmond for a special ‘Franking Mark’ to be created advertising the production.

By sheer coincidence much of the mail thus franked and received by local residents happened to be their annual tax demands! Amused (and otherwise) tax payers brought this to the attention of the Daily express columnist William Hickey and from this coverage was subsequently seen on Nationwide and That’s Life.

Can you help with more information? Please send any information you have over to archives@brostc.org.

CAST

Tevye – Richard Manuel
Golde – Moira Butt
Tzeitel – Ann Wengraf
Hodel – Janie Piddock
Chava – Lynda Hedges
Shprintze – Geraldine Kendrick/Caroline Dooley
Bielke – Gaynor Burn/Jennifer Thompson
Yente – Marjorie Doughty
Lazar Wolfe – Alex Derbie
Motel – Trevor Johnson
Perchik – Richard Matthiae
Fyedka – Alan Titchmarsh
The Fiddler – Geoffrey Clarke
The Rabbi – Alan Middleton
Mendel – Steve Alais
The Constable – Martin Last
Mordcha – Deryk Gibson
Nachum – Leonard Brittle
Avram – Simon Walters
Shandel – Carla Lawrence
Frumah-Sarah – Jackie Clarke
Grandmother Tzeitel – Joy Cooper
People of Anatevka – Juliet Catford, Molly Charles, Pat Cole, Wendy Edwards, Joan Flory, Mary Fraser, Sally Hilton, Lynne James, Helen Jenkins, Pauline Kendrick, Zoe Miller, Angela Pusey, Joan Smoothey, Mandy Stenhouse, Catherine Vachell, Kitty Wright, David Armstrong, Jonathan Bridger, Trevor Coffey, Peter Deas, Ken Frisby, George Johnson, Jeffrey Raggett, Timothy Rowett, Vic Ruocca, Robert Salter, Tony Slaymaker, Peter Sporle, Graham Stanley, Robert Summers, Gerry Tickner
Children – Sharon Burn, Judith Vandepeer, Laura Webb, Steven Bowyer, Andrew McLaren, Richard Taylor, Richard Vandepeer
Dancers – Marion Alais, Susan Brittle, Jill Deas, Miriam Hill, Marion McLaren, Wendy Taylor, Alison Thierens, Jacqui Tibble, Sally Whitaker

CREW

Stage Manager – John Mitchell
Assisted by – Melvyn Morgan
Property Master – David Casey
Assisted by – Sue Partner, Barbara McDowell, Peter Sporle & Diana (?)
House Manager – Peter Brown
Rehearsal Accompanists – Stephanie Underhill
Box Office – Barbara Tailby-Weedon
Prompt – Roma Batty
Wardrobe Mistresses – Kathleen Bellamy, Olive Brittle & Molly Norman
Lighting Design – Stuart Tarrant
Restaurant Equipment – Matthiaes of Richmond
Restaurant Food – Wendy Taylor
Scenery – Stagesets (Scenic Hire Contractors)
Furniture – Mooredan Hire Ltd
Costumes – Theatrical Costumes (Westcliff) Ltd
Perruquiers – Mr & Mrs F G Mead
Wigs – Wig Creations
Dolly’s Hair – Mops of Shepherds Market

BAND

Orchestra – The Limbourne Orchestra (leader Eric Hastings)