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How the Anne Frank story captured China

June 2, 2011 13:03
‘And Then They Came for Me’ being performed in China
1 min read

The chinese have become unlikely fans of the Anne Frank story: a London theatre company is to take its production of And Then They Came for Me: Remembering the World of Anne Frank on a second tour of the country this autumn, only months after its first, sell-out run.

The play received rave reviews during its April tour and, next time around, it may be staged at the Chinese parliament in Beijing.

The director, Nic Careem, believes that the play's success was down to the fact that "the story of the Holocaust resonates particularly well with the Chinese people who also suffered during the Second World War as a result of the 'kill all, burn all and loot all' policy of Imperial Japan. Countless Chinese civilians lost their lives through Japanese war crimes."

There is also a specifically Chinese connection to the story. While most of the world closed its doors to Jewish refugees during the Second World War, Shanghai became a safe haven, partly thanks to the efforts of Chinese diplomat Feng Shan Ho, who issued 1,200 visas.