FIDDLER On The Roof is, of course, a stand-out musical: music by Jerry Bock with lyrics by Sheldon Harnick, set in a small village of Imperial Russia in 1905.

The drama centres on the dairyman, Tevye, who is battling to uphold his Jewish culture which is under threat from within, both through the determination of his three eldest daughters to marry whom they choose and the threat of eviction by the Tsar.

The Bev Jones Music Company's production opens brimming with confidence. This is especially true of the band who are excellent all evening; real credit to musical director Phil Redding.

All of the performers are "miked up". I’m not sure this works all of the time but certainly it gives clarity to the spoken narrative. Tradition, involving the whole company, is very enjoyable and maps out the drama from different perspectives: "whoever Pa picks" bemoan the girls’ chorus on their future spouses.

Matchmaker is an excellent ensemble performance, but the showstopper is, inevitably, Chris Hagyard’s If I Were A Rich Man. Simply superb. Having said that, The Dream works splendidly (apart from one of the microphones on Thursday night) and Sunrise Sunset has a brilliantly choreographed "bottle" dance with the sexiest of clarinet commentary from Jonathan Sage.

The second act is much darker as the cultural and political forces impact on Tevye, the ending resonating long after the performance ends. So many seriously good performances, but the show depends very much on both the singing and acting ability of Tevye, and Hagyard is terrific throughout. This show is a fitting tribute to the continuing legacy of Bev Jones.

Fiddler On The Roof, The Bev Jones Music Company, Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York; tonight (May 25) at 7.30pm; tomorrow, 2.30pm and 7.30pm. Box office: 01904 501395 or at josephrowntreetheatre.co.uk