Reviews

Bursting onto Broadway in 1955, The Diary of Anne Frank, adapted by Frances Goodrich and Albert Hackett, swept onto the stage like a beacon of light in the shadow of history. In a world darkened by the persecution of Jews in wartime Amsterdam, the play’s deeply human story of fragile hope and fierce dignity captured the hearts of audiences with electrifying emotional honesty. Its remarkable 717-performance run on Broadway cemented The Diary of Anne Frank as a theatrical classic, earning the Pulitzer Prize for Drama and multiple Tony Awards, including Best Play.

This is a terrific little play, beautifully acted and realised in an appropriate location at the heart of Mardi Gras Sydney.

But this is not just a work for an LGBTQI+ audience as it is a gritty look at a friendship between an alpha straight young male and his gay friend, both navigating the choppy seas of love and hook-ups.

Written in Perth over ten years ago, the play has been a festival favourite around the world and it has lost none of its punch.

Few community theatre companies reach outside the box for their material. They usually   choose plays that stretch their actors and creatives – and appeal to their audiences. The folk at Henry Lawson Theatre Company do something a little different for one part of their season each year. They invite aspiring playwrights in the company and the local area to submit short plays for their “All Sorts” program.

What happens when you leave four grown men alone with experimental scientific elixirs designed to enhance performance? You get chaos, excitement, but most of all, you get fun!