Guildford School of Acting Tackles Social Scourges In New Diary of Anne Frank Production

Published on: 3 Dec, 2019
Updated on: 2 Dec, 2019

The scourges of prejudice and discrimination are being tackled by Surrey university’s Guildford School of Acting (GSA) students in a haunting new adaptation of The Diary of Anne Frank from 11 – 14 December.

The GSA production, from 11 till 14 December, will combine powerful acting with music by Niall Bailey, based on themes by Ilse Weber, Pavel Haas and Gideon Klein, all composers who fell victim to the Holocaust.

This moving adaptation speaks to a new generation about the oppressive nature of discrimination and prejudice, still afflicting modern society.

The Pulitzer Prize-winning play was originally written by Frank Goodrich and Albert Hackett in 1955. They won the Tony Award for Best Play and was adapted into the Oscar-nominated Diary of Anne Frank in 1959, then revised in 1997 by Wendy Kesselman.

The GSA production, starring talented final-year students on the BA Actor Musician programme, renews the theme for today’s generation.

To complement the play, on 13 December there will be a special screening of the documentary film No Asylum, covering the untold chapter of Anne Frank’s story. A Q&A session after the screening will include special guest Eva Schloss, Holocaust survivor, author and international speaker, and Anne Frank’s stepsister.

Other panellists include Professor Sean McNamara, head of GSA, John Wood, co-producer of No Asylum, Marta Miranda, the student who plays Anne Frank and Heather Gorniak, the student who plays Margot Frank.

Tim Robertson is CEO of the Anne Frank Trust, a charity that uses her life and inspirational diary to empower young people with the knowledge, skills and confidence to challenge all forms of prejudice and discrimination, and kindly shared video and other resources with GSA. He will attend the first performance.

Nicholas Scrivens, programme leader at GSA, said: “Sadly, Anne Frank’s story is as relevant today as ever, with anti-Semitism and other forms of prejudice still rotting our society. Its haunting messages, expressed so poignantly by GSA’s actor-musicians, need to be heard.”

Call GSA’s box office on 01483 68 6876, open 10.15am – 5.45pm, to book for The Diary of Anne Frank.

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