VIKESH GODHWANI
TIMELESS MUSICAL HITS THE THEATRE FIDDLER ON THE ROOF, BASED ON THE BOOK “TEVYE AND HIS DAUGHTERS” BY SHELDON HARNICK, IS A MUSICAL ABOUT TRADITION, RACISM AND FAMILY, WITH ALL THE RIGHT INGREDIENTS TO MAKE FOR AN EXCITING EVENING AT THE THEATRE. VIKESH GODHWANI SPEAKS TO PRODUCER AND PROTAGONIST, EDWARD MERCIECA ABOUT STAGING A MUSICAL OF SUCH A GREAT CALIBRE AND ABOUT THE PRESSURES OF PLAYING SUCH AN ICONIC CHARACTER.
This is FM’s first big musical since Hairspray so it’s been some time now since you’ve ventured into musical theatre. As a producer how does your approach differ when it comes to choosing the right musical, the cast etc. Is it a more tedious process? Is it more rewarding than when you stage a small play or are there pros and cons either way? Well as a producer you are weighing various factors when choosing what to produce. These factors include economics, relevance, popularity of the title, technical difficulties when staging in terms of set, costumes, special effects, theatre availability and of course casting. Obviously, producing a full scale musical like Fiddler or Hairspray is a much bigger task than producing a small two hander at St. James. The challenges are different and both have advantages and disadvantages but as a producer you need to satisfy the audience’s demands and both types of productions need to be part of one’s portfolio.
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Why did you decide on Fiddler on the Roof? Fiddler seemed to have the most relevance in Malta today. It deals with people displacement, (think refugees) and racism; a demon that has raised its ugly head in the last couple of years in Malta. It also deals with family values and how they fit into a changing society with strong traditions. Also the Jewish psyche and the Maltese psyche bear a strong resemblance and it is very easy to identify with what is happening in Anatevka. Fiddler on the Roof is one of those musicals that seem to be timeless. Why do you think it has stood the test of time and so many years after its conception it is still being staged? As previously stated, the points it treats are timeless and have been part of history for centuries.