Lara Pulver on raising the roof at the Barbican

As Fiddler on the Roof triumphantly returns to London, this time at the Barbican, the show’s Golde, Lara Pulver, discusses what makes the show so magic.

After a sell-out run at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre last year, Jordan Fein’s Olivier Award-winning revival of Fiddler on the Roof is returning to London at the Barbican Theatre this summer. Actor Lara Pulver is reprising her role as matriarch Golde, along with Adam Dannheisser as milkman Teyve. A previous Olivier Award winner for her role as Louise in Gypsy and nominated again this year for Best Actress in a Musical for Fiddler, Pulver is a stalwart of both stage and screen.

During a break from a Peckham rehearsal room, Pulver spoke to London Theatre Magazine about the rollercoaster of emotions in a show where “I feel like I age about 10 years by the end of an eight-week run!” and the excitement of reviving the show in a different space. “I think you can make magic anywhere,” she says, “and I can't wait to see the response from the audience.”

As Pulver prepares to return to the show, we spoke about the importance of casting, the reasons the show has resonated so strongly with audiences and why Imelda Staunton is on her speed dial.

Congratulations on the success of the show and the Olivier nomination. Was it a surprise to be nominated?

It was a real surprise! The first person I texted was Imelda Staunton and said, “Do you want to be my plus one on the 6 April?” We did Gypsy together and we’ve been friends ever since; she's my barometer on all things life and work.

The actual night was so celebratory because I think the 13 nominations for Fiddler were so lovely, but the fact that we're going to get to do it again is even more special.

Why do you think the show captured the public imagination so much?

Regent’s Park is a magical venue. Jordan and our designer Tom Scutt had such an extraordinary vision. Jordan's take on the piece has reinvigorated people's love for Fiddler.

As a show, it's entertaining, it’s heartbreaking, it's funny, and you had the magical element during “Sunrise Sunset” of the actual sun setting over Regent’s Park. By the end of the run, full moons were coming up over everyone's heads. It made everyone stop for a moment.

Is there anything you can tell me about the new set design?

I think it might even be better and I didn't think that was possible.

I was struck that the cast was and is predominantly Jewish. Do you feel that helps the show resonate more with you as an actor?

Everyone has different associations with faith and spirituality within our company. Some people have Jewish heritage, but aren't practising. Yet it’s funny how certain things feel like they're in your DNA.

Casting a community that spans a 75-year-old rabbi to an 18-year-old daughter is what brings individuality, more so than people's relationship to their faith.

Golde is a traditionalist, but you made the role more intelligent and stronger than previous iterations. Was that a conscious decision?

Not knowingly! I had a preconceived idea of Golde being this nagging 55-year-old matriarch. In my head, even as a mother of two, I hadn't seen myself as Golde — it didn't make sense in my head. But the second I threw that fixed picture out the window, it felt like everything was possible. It was really important to feel like she was the rock of the entire family.

Golde and Teyve’s duet “Do You Love Me?” is one of the most affecting parts of the show. How do you imbue that song with so much meaning?

“Do You Love Me?” was a dream to sing every night. I've been married for 11 years and Adam’s celebrating his 25th wedding anniversary this year. So, we both get what it is to be a team. We’ve had many life chats beyond the show and we understand what honouring a marriage means.

What is the most challenging part of the show?

Being able to emotionally shrug it off. The show is such a rollercoaster; there is joy and fun, as well as moments of utter heartbreak.

Book Fiddler on the Roof tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

This article first appeared in the June 2025 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Lara Pulver. (Photo by Joseph Sinclair)