View from Theater Amsterdam to the IJ river

News of: Monday, October 26 2015,

Last performance announced of Anne Frank play

The last performance of the play 'Anne' (about Anne Frank) has been announced for January 31, 2016. This is 1.5 year after the premiere, on May 8, 2014.

And that is earlier than hoped and expected. It was estimated earlier that the play, for it to break even, would have to be sold out for about 2 years, 7 days a week. Not only will the play be performed for 1.5 year, also it was put on only about 4 or 5 times a week, on average.
The play received mixed reviews in the Dutch press, of which particularly the negative review of NRC Handelsblad stood out: not only was it negative, it covered almost the entire front page. NRC is one of the leading 'quaility newspapers' in the Netherlands.

What also did not help is the location of the theatre. It is located a bit outside the centre, in an industrial harbour area.

Furthermore, there was animosity between the organization behind the play and the Anne Frank House, having to do with the copyrights of Anne Frank's writings, and the allegation that the play was too 'commercial' in its set-up. The Anne Frank House website did not mention the play at all.

There were about 400 performances in total, which drew about 300,000 spectators.

The Theater Amsterdam was built especially for this play, in the harbour area just West of the centre of Amsterdam. The play and the theater were both privately funded, without subsidies.

After Anne, the theater will run other plays and events.

The play 'Anne' may be performed in other countries around the world. There appear to be negotiations going on, e.g. in Japan.

View from Theater Amsterdam to the IJ river

View from Theater Amsterdam to the IJ river

Anne Frank

Anne Frank

Theater Amsterdam (Anne Frank play)

Theater Amsterdam (Anne Frank play)