Wow. I always have quite high expectations when I go to see a KATS production, but Fiddler on the Roof blew me away.

I went in to the Malborough Village Hall on Wednesday evening with no preconceived ideas, having never watched the play on the stage or screen, but I was hooked within the first minute as the 44-strong cast broke into ‘Tradition’.

Based on the book ‘Tevye and his Daughters’ by Sholem Aleichem, the play follows Tevye and his five daughters as he tries to balance their Jewish traditions and customs with a fast-changing world and the strong-willed women in his family, as his daughters choose husbands that are further and further away from his ideal.

The action takes place during the Pale of Settlement of Imperial Russia in 1905, in a little village called Anatevka.

Tevye was played by Anthony Chamberlain, head of Drama at Dartmouth Academy. His comic timing and asides as he talks to God were fantastic, and I think he made at least half of the audience fall a little bit in love with him by the end of the evening.

Tevye’s wife Golde was played by Sally Feetenby, and together they were both funny and touching. Sally puts in a truly amazing performance as the wife who wears the trousers in the family, not that Tevye would ever admit it.

Their five daughters, Tzietel, Hodel, Chava, Shprintze and Bielke were played by Tara Roberts, Lucy Booker, Ella Crossland, Isla McColl and Annie Robins. Anyone lucky enough to have seen KCC’s production of Grease would have had the pleasure of seeing Lucy and Ella, and they are just as impressive in Fiddler. In fact 13 members of the cast are current KCC students.

Jules McColl, who not only is KATS chairman, but also plays the community’s matchmaker Yente expertly, who organises marriage matches between the young men and women of the village, or at least when it comes to Tevye’s family, she tries to.

The daughter’s love interests, Motel the tailor was played by Dan Sinnott, Perchik the student by Dan Sinclair, Lazar Wolf the butcher by Bill Fletcher-Neal, and Fyedka by Tommy Booker, were all excellent.

I don’t have the space to write reviews on all of the main cast - I would love to, but there were so many of them! - but there wasn’t a single actor who let the side down, they were all inspiringly good.

I will however shout out to Jacob Seldon, just for the one note he held halfway through ‘To Life’ - go and see it and you’ll know what I’m talking about, and Sarah Montague for the stunning dream sequence.

The story could have been heavy and emotional, set in a dark period of history, but the sharp humour and warmth that shines through the whole production means you come out feeling refreshed and smiling rather than emotionally drained.

I have never been disappointed by a KATS production, but this was something else. The choreography - choreographer Suzie Boyle - meant that the huge cast moved together like they had been rehearsing for years, and its worth remembering that they missed their two dress rehearsals because of the snow at the beginning of the week! Who knows how polished they’d have been if they hadn’t, I can’t imagine it being any better!

They even had a guest musician who travelled all the way from Scotland and stayed in a hotel just to be part of the production. Ian Duff first performed Fiddler 35-years-ago and, since it is the only musical with an accordion part (who knew?) he jumped at the chance to be involved, unpaid, and at the other end of the country.

The whole production cost KATS £15,000 to produce (!) and they have been preparing for the production for the last six months. The dedication of the group is awe-inspiring and the results are breath-taking.

Once again, KATS has proven that you don’t have to travel to find top-class acting, singing and entertainment in the South Hams, they’re all here already.

Tickets are still available, and please don’t miss out if you can get to go and see it. I promise you won’t be disappointed. Tickets can be found at the Kingsbridge Information Centre and on the KATS website: www.kats-kingsbridge.co.uk/