Farewell Fruma Sarah
Ruth Madoc the actress who immortalised Lazar Wolf's wife in the film Fiddler on the Roof dies.
To actress who will forever be Fruma Sarah to Fiddler on the Roof fans died on Friday December 9 after a fall. Ruth Madoc, 79 who became a household name playing “chief yellowcoat” Gladys Pugh in BBC sitcom Hi-de-Hi! was due to appear in Aladdin in Torquay, but passed away in hospital following surgery for the fall she had earlier in the week.
Ruth Madoc made her screen debut in Fiddler after spotting an advert for a soprano in The Stage newspaper, but it was her willingness to be suspended 15ft in a harness over a graveyard as Lazar Wolf’s dead wife that the film’s director Norman Jewison loved about her.
“Today, a performance like that by an unknown would lead to more work, but I disappeared into oblivion,” she said when she appeared on Jewish News’ 50th anniversary celebration for Fiddler in April 2021.
“At the audition, there were 500 girls in my group alone, but they whittled it down until there were two of us, ” said Ruth who had already starred in the West End’s Man of La Mancha.“I was quite poor in those days and couldn’t afford to see the West End production of Fiddler , so I did my own version, which was camp and full of chutzpah.”
Shot at Pinewood, the famous dream sequence required a white-faced Ruth to fly out of a grave. “The harness was hugely uncomfortable and I was up there for 10 days of filming with a guy called Inky on the pulley. One day, after he had a few at lunch, he almost dropped me, but I had no nerves in those days. I don’t know if I’d like to do it now.”
Still working Ruth was looking forward to getting back on the road in 2023 with BBC’s The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.In a statement, Phil Belfield, of the Belfield & Ward talent agency, described their client as “one of a kind and a unique talent loved by many.”
In memory of Ruth we present once again the 50th anniversary reunion of Fiddler on the Roof
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5r6CVyb9iE
Keep community journalism free.
Jewish News is free for everyone. No paywall. No barriers. Just trusted journalism for anyone who wants to stay connected to Jewish life in Britain.
If you value that, please support us.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help keep our journalism free and accessible to all.
Every day, we report on the issues that matter to our community. We celebrate achievements, support charities, challenge antisemitism and ensure Jewish voices are heard more widely.
From as little as £5 a month, you can help us continue to:
- Report on the stories shaping Jewish life in the UK and beyond
- Bring our community together through shared stories, events and campaigns
- Celebrate the people, culture and moments that define our community
- Support organisations doing vital work across Jewish Britain
You can make a one-off donation or become a regular supporter. Every contribution helps keep our journalism free, independent and accessible to all.
If everyone who values Jewish News gave a small amount, it would make a real difference to our future.
