Diary of Anne Frank - Review - People's Theatre

Diary of Anne Frank
People's Theatre
29th Oct 2019

Dramatisation by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett
Directed by Gordon Russell


The Diary of Anne Frank is one of those books you are supposed to have read. People exclaim in surprise when you confess that you have not. Prepare to gasp - I have never read The Diary of Ann Frank. It is on my "ought to read" list. I have read other books about the death camps, some fiction, some autobiographical. I cried buckets over Corrie Ten Boom, and I think my expectation was that Anne's Diary would be equally traumatic. The surprise is, that while it is emotional, this adaptation of her story shows a girl who is full of optimism and zest for life. She chafes against the confines of the attic, yet despite the awfulness of their situation, she still looks for the good in people.


I suppose the first challenge when staging this play must be in recreating the cramped, claustrophobic space. The stage at The People's Theatre is a great expanse of space, and there is rarely an unnecessary prop used in their sets. Would this spaciousness and minimalism work against them for Anne's compact attic? How would they create a set that spoke of claustrophobia and crampedness? Not by reducing the space with unnecessary staging, but by sticking to their tried and tested philosophy of less is more - or in this case less is less. A simple black backdrop, and a selection of raised platforms are all that is needed to create the attic and its four tiny rooms. A table, some chairs and a blanket roll and pillow for each character completes the stage. Recorded sounds of marching feet, and armoured vehicles, a clock chiming and voices talking or shouting provide the hustle of town life outside, and the ever present threat of discovery. And that is all it takes to build tension. A truck pulling up outside, marching feet coming to an abrupt halt causing the inhabitants of the attic to stop whatever they are doing and freeze, barely breathing until the threat is past.

And despite the small space, there is always much going on, reading, sewing, Anne sings and dances while the Van Daans argue. The effect of the sudden ceasing of these activities is profound - nothing could convey the sense of dread, the fear of discovery better.

There are solid performances from all of the cast. Abigail Martin shines throughout as the exuberant Anne.  Rachel Kilburn as Mrs Frank, and Pete McAndrew as Otto both give moving performances as her parents: in the scene where they discover Mr Van Daal stealing the food and Mrs franks finally losses her temper! They have tried her patience for almost two years - her anger is magnificent! And Otto Frank's final speech after he has read Anne's diary is incredibly moving:  a father rediscovering his daughter through her own words and morning her loss.


The strength of this production is in its simplicity, and its integrity. It tells this tragic story without fuss and with great compassion.

The Diary of Anne Frank plays until Sat 2nd November.

Denise Sparrowhawk