Last April the famous Liverpool Everyman announced it was to have its first resident repertory company in 25 years. In the theatre's 50 year history it's repertory companies have included illustrious actors like Julie Walters, Bill Nighy and Anthony Sher. The company's first season kicks off with Fiddler On The Roof with Tevye played by RSC and National Theatre stalwart Patrick Brennan, the grandson of Irish dairy farmers who emigrated to Wales.
Everyman Artistic Director Gemma Bodinez explains why she thinks Fiddler, set in 1905 Imperialist Russia is a play for our times: "It looks at a father with three independent daughters who want to choose their own husbands and it's set against a backdrop of a village being ripped apart by the Russian powers that be, forcibly making the Jewish people leave Russia in their millions." she says of the musical based on Tevye and his Daughters and other tales by Sholem Aleichem.
"So sadly it still resonates with what is going on in the world. In the final scene of Fiddler where we see Tevye and his family being forced to leave their village, not knowing where they are going is being played out throughout the world today."
Patrick Brennan asked one of his best friends, Jewish actor Jonathan Tafler what he thought about him playing Tevye; "Ironically Jonathan was in the Crucible at the time playing a Christian Puritan! But of course he really didn't need to point out what a wonderful role this is.
"It's definitely one of the iconic musical theatre roles. I see it as the King Lear of musicals with its themes of fatherhood, growing older whilst having daughters with a different view of the world."
"I don't think they purposely set out to cast a 'gentile Tevye'." Brennan adds, "We are essentially a company of all races and we've all got various strengths and it was felt I was best suited to Tevye."
He adds; "Ultimately it's the major dilemma between tradition and modernity."
Liverpool Everyman is a Theatre In The Round; " Fiddler on the Roof is normally staged in a big proscenium arch venue, you are going to get s much more intimate experience with us." says Brennan "You get to have the spectacle of the set pieces like the weddings or the Frumma Sarah dream sequence very close up."
Gemma Bodinez is keen to point out that aside from anything else, Fiddler On The Roof is first class entertainment: "It is a perfect balance of a fantastic night out. A night about families, and with great songs."
Fiddler is the first of five productions this season which include Romeo & Juliet and a new play The Sum by Liverpool writer Lizzie Nunnery.
Bodinez adds finally "I chose Fiddler as part of the season because I think it felt like a perfect way to capture a story that reminds us there there aren't really people called migrants. There people who have families, joys, a sense of humour, careers and loves, just like all of us."
Fiddler On the Roof is on at Liverpool Playhouse until Saturday 11th March.
