Review Roundup: WHAT WE TALK ABOUT WHEN WE TALK ABOUT ANNE FRANK at Marylebone Theatre

What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank, a new serious comedy by Nathan Englander is being presented at Marylebone Theatre. 

The show is based on his acclaimed 2011 short story in The New Yorker, directed by Patrick Marber. The production will run until 23 November 2024.

Joining Joshua Malina, making his London theatre debut as ‘Phil’, is Caroline Catz as ‘Debbie’, Dorothea Myer-Bennett as ‘Shoshana’, Simon Yadoo as ‘Yerucham’ and Gabriel Howell as ‘Trevor’.

See what the critics are saying...

David Jays, The Guardian: And the title? That’s a revealingly nasty “game of ultimate truth” from the girls’ childhood. In Anne Frank’s position, who would shelter you? The story ends in heart-stopping mistrust – the play elaborates the game’s ceremonial atmosphere and adds an inward-looking gravity. Even so, a piece built on angst and zingers can’t quite hold this political moment with all its fury and despair.

Daz Gale, All That Dazzles: One thing What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank does extremely well is inspire conversations and debate among the audience. This was evident both in the interval and after the show where conversation stretched beyond the usual “what do you think?” discussing the merits of the topics and the different ways we may all look at this show, based on our own lived experiences. As someone who was raised by Jewish parents but didn’t follow that religious path, there were moments I related to (and one or two I was in the minority at laughing at), particularly in the character of Trevor, who now worships a flying spaghetti monster (I wouldn’t go that far, though I am quite partial to a Bolognese). Themes of religion, identity, politics and parenthood make this a play full of riches, never running out of things to say.

Clive Davis, The Times: Gabriel Howell’s Trevor breaks down the fourth wall from the start as he introduces each scene. Joshua Malina is crisp and cynical as Phil, while Simon Yadoo captures the hectoring tone of Yerucham. Caroline Catz’s Debbie is all nervous energy, in contrast to the serene glances emanating from Dorothea Myer-Bennett’s Shoshana.

Fiona Mountford, The Telegraph: The two couples, within whose marriages dark shadows lurk, cycle through schematic peaks and troughs of emotion. Myer-Bennett has most success at moving her character out of the two-dimensional: Shoshana, she makes clear, is no timid wife, but a proud and intelligent woman who has made a profound decision about her life’s direction. Debbie has pangs of nostalgia over the greater faith she used to have, whereas irascible Phil cannot forgive Israel its conduct. Audience members are unlikely to leave with their previously held viewpoints shifted, but it is nonetheless bracing to hear all the arguments aired so robustly.