As Long As We Are Breathing
Review by Abi
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As Long As We Are Breathing, written by Diane Samuels and directed by Ben Caplan, tells the true-life story of Miriam ‘Eva’ Freeman, a holocaust survivor from Slovakia. The piece, narrated by Miriam (Caroline Gruber), takes us back to her early childhood as Eva (Zoe Goriely), and experiences of living in hiding during the Holocaust, before moving to London to start her adult life. The piece is completed with music from Musician (Matthew James Hinchcliffe), who provides an audio backdrop to the story’s highs and lows.
Following the war and her move to London, Miriam meets teacher, Irina Tweedie with whom she discovers yoga and meditation, enabling her to begin the process of unpicking her grief and trauma, and ultimately find a path towards forgiveness. The piece moves between past and present, slowly unravelling the extent of her and her family’s suffering during the war, as Miriam journeys through her life back in Bratislava and Nitra.
Miriam’s story is told excellently by the cast. Goriely’s performance as Eva was in equal measures tragic and hopeful. Hinchcliffe gave the entire production a sense of gravitas, intensifying moments of foreboding, fear and freedom with meaningful musical accompaniment. Finally, Gruber filled the space with light and warmth, a beautiful portray of a woman who managed, against horrific odds, to lead a full life. She commanded the room like a familial matriarch would, guiding the audience through her journey, with opportunities to join the characters in meditation and reflection.
The entire creative team made incredible use of audio, sound and visual, creating more than just a play, but a living museum of photos, videos and sound clips, reminding us of the real people behind the story.
Watching this piece in the days following Holocaust Memorial Day was a poignant reminder of the privilege of remembrance. So many people, and their stories, are lost and will never be remembered, so to learn the story of Miriam Freeman, was incredibly special.