More than seven decades after Anne Frank’s diary was published, her words continue to find new life on the stage. Now, Drew Anthony Creative’s award-winning stage production is bringing the story to Australian audiences.
Rather than being a radical reimagining or taking a modernised approach, The Diary of Anne Frank remains grounded in the original stage play by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett. And as Chloe-Jean Vincent, who plays Anne in the production, explained to The AJN, few theatre audiences realise that Anne’s father, Otto Frank, was personally involved in shaping the script.
After the diary’s publication, Otto Frank selected Goodrich and Hackett to adapt his daughter’s writing, working closely with them throughout the development process, reviewing drafts, suggesting changes and ensuring Anne’s character was portrayed as she would have wanted.
For Vincent, the role is not simply another professional milestone. It’s something she has carried with her for most of her life.
“I’m not even exaggerating when I say this, my absolute dream role. I have been obsessed with Anne and her story my entire life. She means so much to me,” Vincent told The AJN over video chat.
“Anyone who’s read the diary knows Anne was witty. She was loud, out loud, witty and acerbic and vivacious, and I want them to witness Anne’s story and all of its complexity and holistic integrity in that regard.”
Vincent explained to The AJN that there isn’t a large Jewish demographic where she grew up. Her main connection to the community was through Anne and other stories of the Holocaust, making this role even more meaningful.
“I think that’s why I feel such a strong impulse to share these stories. Because they are my main tie to my Jewish roots,” she shared. “And in a way, I understand my own Jewishness from the messages of these survivor accounts: finding hope in the darkness, resiliency in spite of everything. We endure. It is a legacy of survival.”
She recalled discovering Anne’s diary as a young girl at a time when she felt isolated and searching for connection.
“I didn’t really have a lot of friends, and so I discovered the diary, and it was like for the first time, I had the friend that I’d always imagined having – funny, vivacious, witty, with this self-reflexivity,” she said.
The emotional pull of the story stayed with her into adulthood. And when she happened upon an audition notice by chance, she felt an immediate certainty.
“I remember just sitting there, and I was like, ‘That’s my role. That is my role.’ I never really thought I’d get the opportunity to actually play her, because it’s not the sort of play that really comes around that often,” Vincent said.
Vincent also explained that the production is truly a reflection of Anne and her story, prioritising character over anything else and placing Anne’s humanity in the foreground. It’s a responsibility that rests heavily on Vincent.
“Playing Anne, it’s almost like a moral obligation,” she said. “It’s a privilege to be standing up and representing my community in such a positive manner, because Anne’s story isn’t just about the Holocaust, it’s about hope. It’s about finding light amidst the darkness. Her voice was extinguished before its time, but mine remains, and I guess because of that, I intend to use it to share her message and share the messages of our people and our community and remind everyone about the consequences of hate and what can happen when a single candle not only defines the darkness, but also defies it.”
Vincent shared a particular sentiment of Anne’s that has stayed with her since she was young, where Anne promised that if G-d let her live, she would make her voice heard and work for all of mankind.
“It breaks my heart that Anne didn’t get that chance. But I do,” Vincent said. “And that’s such a privilege that I get to live my life and use my voice and share stories, not just for myself, but for those who didn’t get a chance, like Anne, like little Matilda. So in this way, it’s almost as if they get to live on alongside me, in my soul, in my bones and my actions and my words.”
Since premiering, the production has garnered a string of accolades, including multiple Broadway World awards for Best Direction of a Play and Best Play as well as Best Performer for Vincent and Best Supporting Performer for Holly Easterbrook, who plays Anne’s mother Edith. The recognition speaks not only to the strength of the acting, but also the care that has been taken in presenting a story that is so familiar.
“And that’s such a privilege that I get to live my life and use my voice and share stories, not just for myself, but for those who didn’t get a chance, like Anne, like little Matilda. So in this way, it’s almost as if they get to live on alongside me, in my soul, in my bones and my actions and my words.”
For Vincent, the production shows that while Anne’s story is indeed a tragic one, it is not a story of tragedy alone. Rather, the production, she said, emphasises Anne’s courage and emotional complexity, as well as her humour and down-to-earth nature. It’s something she hopes the audience feels.
“I don’t want them to come away from it thinking of all of the misery, but of the beauty that still remains,” Vincent said. “The play is surprisingly funny. It’s not what people would expect in terms of a Holocaust play, but anyone who’s read the diary knows Anne was witty. She was loud, out loud, witty and acerbic and vivacious, and I want them to witness Anne’s story and all of its complexity and holistic integrity in that regard.
“It’s not a story about the darkness, it’s about how you defy it, and that even though the ending is completely tragic, Anne’s message lives on,” Vincent continued. “It’s such a privilege, and I want the audience to get to know her the way that I have as well.”
The Diary of Anne Frank is at Athenaeum Theatre Melbourne from March 4 and State Theatre Sydney from March 25. For tickets, visit Ticketmaster
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