Rosanna Hewson as Anne Frank.

You could have heard a pin drop as the lights finally went down on the opening night of The Diary of Anne Frank. The audience sat in stunned silence for what seemed an eternity before erupting in thunderous applause.

Repertory Theatre's latest offering is more than just a play. It takes the very real and harrowing story of a small group of people shunned by society and forced into hiding. It is not just the story of the Franks, however. It is the story of The Holocaust put vividly and sensitively into human terms and preserved for eternity by Anne's adolescent writings.

Multi award-winning director Robert Gilbert knew he was working on a very special project from the outset. "This is play that must be done often," he says. "I feel honoured to be given the opportunity on this occasion. The Diary of Anne Frank is one of those plays that must be brought to life, renewed and put before each generation, lest we forget."

At first, Robert was astonished by the sheer number of 13 to 23 year-old hopefuls who applied to audition for the title role last year. "In the end we simply couldn't see them all," he says, "sadly, we had to say 'no' to girls under 12 years, and I really felt that the 13 and 14 year-olds were going to struggle with the demands of the role."

After three days and nights of auditions, Robert chose a 17 year-old Burnside High School student, Rosanna Hewson. No stranger to the stage, Rosanna has been performing most of her young life, featuring in TV3's The Dress-Up Box, Showbiz's Les Miserables and Repertory's The Secret Garden amongst others.

Robert was thrilled with Rosanna's performance on opening night. "In Rosanna, we have an extraordinary young woman. Just like Anne she is full if vibrancy, hope and promise." Rosanna's performance is subtle and deeply moving. There were plenty of tissues out as the play unfolded before its near capacity crowd on Saturday.

It would seem the just the right time to revive the story of Anne Frank. Te Papa launched its three-year national tour of The Anne Frank Exhibition this month, and the recent death of Meip Gies, who first found the diary, have brought the events surrounding Anne's diary back into our minds. Moreover, as Robert says, "Young people need to be told of the horrifying aspects of The Holocaust and shown, as best we can, that nazism, and the swastika are not to be made fun of or glorified, ever."