Drew Anthony Creative brings to the State Theatre Centre the internationally acclaimed stage adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank, the remarkable true-life story of a young girl in hiding during Nazi-occupied Amsterdam in World War II.
An exceptional Perth-based cast delivers emotional nuance and depth, illuminating each character with raw honesty and compassion.
Chloe-Jean Vincent leads as Anne Frank, capturing both the lightness and gravity of Anne’s perspective. She is joined by Phil Bedworth (Otto Frank), Holly Easterbrook (Edith Frank), Ciara Taylor (Margot Frank), Nathan Hampson (Peter Van Daan), Asha Cornelia Cluer (Petronella Van Daan), Matt Dyktynski (Putti Van Daan), Grace Tolich (Miep), Kingsley Judd (Mr. Kraler), and Jamie Jewell (Jan Dussel).
Each actor offers an intimate glimpse into the lives of those who hid in the annex, creating a collective harmony that brings the past vividly into the present.
This extraordinary production respectfully and impactfully handles its sensitive subject matter, offering not just a sobering reminder of history, but also allowing moments of warmth, humour, and humanity to shine through. It reminds us of Anne’s own remarkable ability to find beauty in darkness; to hold on to hope and resilience in the face of unimaginable hardship.
The stage design evokes a sepia-toned photograph, muted colours, transparent props, and fully visible domestic spaces. Projected banners with Nazi insignias loom over the set, an ever-present reminder of the regime outside the annex walls. This stripped-back aesthetic draws the audience closer, creating an atmosphere that is both intimate and haunting.
While watching, I was reminded of another profound loss: the destruction of Magnus Hirschfeld’s Institute of Sexual Science. On May 6, 1933, Nazi stormtroopers and nationalist students descended on the Berlin institute, burning books, destroying records, and executing or imprisoning those inside. Only one known burnt book from the raid survives, now held in the University of Minnesota GLBT Archive.
Hirschfeld, a Jewish gay man, physician and pioneer in gender and sexuality studies, founded the world’s first LGBTQ+ advocacy organisation, the Scientific-Humanitarian Committee, in 1897. His institute conducted groundbreaking research and performed the first known gender-affirming surgery, that of Dora Richter in 1931. Yet even after the war ended, many gay men liberated from concentration camps were re-imprisoned under Paragraph 175, the same law Hirschfeld had fought to overturn.
This production is not just a retelling of Anne Frank’s story, it is a reminder of the many voices silenced during the Holocaust and the systemic violence that endured long after.
It is a life-changing experience, a call to remembrance, and a doorway into empathy, resilience, and the necessity of continuing the fight for human dignity.
There is talk that the production may tour nationally and return to Perth for another season. For updates, visit www.drewanthonycreative.com.au
Guy Gomeze.
