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The Gozo Creative Theatre Club (GCT) is staging one of the most emotional plays featuring the Second World War at the Teatru Astra, Victoria. In Holland Stands a House, based on Anne Frank’s diary, will be directed by George Mizzi, who created and directs the GCT. The first performance is on Friday, February 23rd at 7.30pm.

The DGCT regularly organises theatrical performances in Gozo. After last year’s success with Alan Ayckbourn’s Confusions, the GCTC will be performing another challenging and emotional play titled In Holland Stands a House by Sue Saunders.

This play is based on the real diary of Anne Frank, the 13 year old Jewish girl who chronicled the lives of two Jewish families hiding from the Nazis. The Frank family used to live in Frankfurt, Germany, but in 1933 Mr Frank took his family to settle in Amsterdam. He was one of those who had realised early in the day of World War II that life for Jews would soon become impossible in Hitler’s Germany.

The Frank family led a normal life in Amsterdam. Anne and her sister Margot went to local schools, made new friends and learned to speak the Dutch tongue quite quickly. Mr Frank, the father, built up a prosperous business and this allowed them to live a comfortable life. This all ended when Hitler’s troops invaded Holland in 1940. Soon anti-Jewish measures were introduced throughout Holland.

Mr Frank made plans to protect his family by transferring his business to the control of his non-jewish manager as people of his race were now forbidden to own any kind of business. He also prepared a hiding-place for his family, as well as for the Van Daans, in the secret annexe above his office and warehouse.

Here, Anne’s family and friends would escape detection for more than two years. They were helped by four friends who provided them with food, clothing, medicine, books and other daily necessities without being noticed by the neighbours or by the other workers in the office and warehouse. For twenty-five months, Anne, the youngest of the eight people in the secret annexe, kept a diary. This play which is based on this diary skilfully interweaves a dramatised account of events in occupied Europe with domestic scenes from the secret annexe.

In Holland Stands a House deals with such issues as racism as well as ethnic and cultural differences, issues that are still valid currency today.

The play will be staged at Teatru Astra. As in previous performances, the GCTC will present this play in an experimental form, there will be no barriers between the actors and the audience. The audience will be led into active involvement with the drama and will be offered the sensation of being sent back in time to experience somehow the feelings that these two families went through through. The audience will become part of the story that is being performed.

George Mizzi will direct a splendid group of actors who have been working together since 2002. As one might already have noticed from previous productions, one of the objectives of the GCTC is the exploration of innovative and challenging forms of expression in experimental theatre. This group is undoubtedly one of the most “authentic” talents that have emerged in this island in modern times.

The main actors taking part in this play are Dianne A. Galea, Mariella Cassar, Margaret Cassar, Julia Camilleri (as Anne Frank), Marsette Xerri, Marlene Saliba, George Camilleri, Cettina Scicluna, Franco Scicluna, Joshua Grech, and Jamie Camilleri.

In Holland Stands a House will be performed at the Teatru Astra on February 23rd and 24th. Tickets may be acquired from the Astra Bar and also from “Xt. Communication, Entertainment & Treats” at Tigrija Palazz, Victoria, Gozo. Otherwise one may book through hotline numbers 21555744 and 79303101.

As part of this cultural event, a selection of abstract paintings by artist Christopher Saliba will be displayed in the theatre’s foyer.

For further information about the GCTC and its future theatre productions the contact address is gozocreative[at]yahoo[dot]com