A husband and wife team have been enlisted to incorporate music and dance into a forthcoming production of The Diary of Anne Frank.
A new score of string quartet and violin solos has been composed by Newport cellist Peter Thewless to accompany Newport Playgoer’s production of The Diary of Anne Frank. His wife, Victoria Hughes, has choreographed the scene with music, with the dancers representing ‘the spirit of Anne’ according to the play’s director Adele Cordner.
Explaining the decision to add music and dance to this tragic and seminal account of the persecution of Jews in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam during the Second World War, Ms Cordner said: “This adaptation of Anne’s diary contains a number of monologues which are extracts from the diary where Anne tells us her deepest feelings. Her honesty and self-awareness are really moving and sometimes these emotions are too great to be expressed in words alone, so I felt that these extracts would be enhanced by music and dance. Both represent the indomitable and enduring spirit of Anne.
“I’m really interested in exploring creative collaborations and I’ve been very fortunate to find such excellent collaborators in our composer Peter Thewless and his wife Victoria Hughes who is our choreographer and musical director.
“We’re also delighted to have talented Newport dancers Seren Howells and Katie Francis-Teague to share the role of ‘the spirit of Anne’, and Billy Wilde who will accompany them on violin. Niamh Jones from Newport plays Anne Frank and she is supported by an excellent cast of both established and new actors of Newport Playgoers.
“It’s wonderful to be working with so many young people to tell this important story so that Anne Frank is remembered and her diary is passed on to our younger generations.”
The Diary of Ann Frank will be at The Dolman Theatre in Newport between February 4th and 8th. Tickets are available from The Dolman Theatre box office ( Saturday 10am -1pm ) and online. www.dolmantheatre.co.uk
Adult tickets are priced £12-50 and children’s tickets are £8-50. There are concessions for Saturday Matinee £11-00 and 1 free child ticket with every 2 adult tickets.