Type – Historical, Drama, Fantasy
If you liked – The Diary of Anne Frank, Parade, Gospel According to Keating
Anne Being Frank: A haunting new play dares to imagine the life Anne Frank never had – a story of resilience, dreams, and the unbreakable human spirit
Behind a secret bookcase in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, Anne Frank’s story began.
As spring blooms outside, bringing life and sunshine to Sydney, the Playhouse at the Opera House offers a stark contrast – cool, dark, and contemplative. It’s the perfect setting for Anne Being Frank, a brand-new work by playwright, Ron Elisha. This haunting reimagining asks a compelling question: What if Anne lived after the war?
Anne Frank’s real story is tragically well known. She died of typhus at just 15 years old at Bergen-Belsen concentration camp with her sister Margot, only weeks before liberation. She never had the chance to tell the story of life after the war.
A New Vision for Anne Frank
Elisha’s play dares to imagine this alternate path, transporting us to New York City, where Anne has become a powerful publishing figure – well-connected, influential, and celebrated. It’s a vision of the life she might have lived, if only history had been kinder.
The play moves fluidly between this imagined future and the past, taking us back to 1942 Amsterdam, when the Frank family went into hiding. The production recreates the famous Secret Annex: a cramped space reached by a hidden staircase behind a bookcase in Otto Frank’s office.
We see Anne’s days filled with boredom and tension, whispers of young love, followed by harrowing flashbacks of their eventual betrayal and deportation. These transitions are ambitious, but the non-linear structure sometimes causes confusion, leaving the audience to piece together timelines and emotional beats.
A Remarkable Solo Performance
Alexis Fishman (as Anne) delivers a remarkable solo performance, embodying Anne and multiple other characters over the 90-minute runtime. Her Anne is lively, courageous, and brimming with humour, capturing both the innocence of youth and the weight of unimaginable circumstances. Fishman’s ability to shift between roles so seamlessly is a testament to her skill and stamina.
The visual and set design by Jacob Battista is subtle yet evocative. Anne’s attic bedroom is surrounded by books, creating a wraparound visual that showcases her passion for reading and writing. The lighting design by Finnegan Comte-Harvey also deserves praise, using shadow and illumination to heighten tension and emotion.
Anne Being Frank is not an easy watch, nor should it be. It doesn’t aim to entertain but to make us reflect – on adversity, resilience, dreams, and the fragile beauty of hope. Through Anne’s imagined future, we are reminded of all that was lost and the enduring power of her spirit.
Is Anne Being Frank Worth Seeing in Sydney?
This sombre, thought-provoking play won’t leave you untouched, with Frank’s story being shown in a new light of sombre hopefulness. It’s a moving tribute to Anne Frank and a meditation on what survival might have meant, had she lived to see her dreams come true.
Tickets and Practical Info for Anne Being Frank in Sydney 🎟️
Playhouse, Sydney Opera House
Season: 13-21 Sep 2025
Tickets: https://www.sydneyoperahouse.com/theatre/anne-being-frank
The show runs for 90 mins with no interval.
Cast
Anne Frank Alexis Fishman
Playwright Ron Elisha
Director Amanda Brooke Lerner Associate Director Theresa Borg
Composer Simon Mason
Visual and Set Design Jacob Battista
Lighting Design Finnegan Comte-Harvey
Lighting Associate Oscar McGovern
Costume Design Susan Makkoo
Choreography John Reed
Stage Manager Lucy Anderson
Assistant Stage Manager Lexie Jaensch
Lead Producer Anton Berezin
PRODUCERS
Monstrous Theatre | Neil Gooding Production | Shalom Collective
