As Long As We Are Breathing, Arcola Theatre Review

Written by Chelsea for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review

Content Warnings: Some sudden loud sounds, self harm, death and references to the Holocaust.

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As Long As We Are Breathing tells the true story of Holocaust Survivor Miriam Freedman in a multi-sensory, mixed-media play that asks the audience to step into a 90-minute play about life, meditation, and forgiveness.

When you walk into the theatre you are greeted by Miriam, played by Caroline Gruber, and immediately feel her warmth and longing for true human connection. She mingles around the room while her younger self, played by Zoe Goriely, lies in child’s pose in the middle of the room. To the side of the stage is a man softly playing meditative sounds and once everyone has taken their seat, older Miriam asks you to join her in meditation. She begins to lead you through breathing and her younger self comes to life.

The beginning of the play is all about her finding yoga and meeting Irina Tweedie who becomes her teacher and in a way her guru. Irina is projected on the back wall and we hear a voice over of her speaking. It is through conversation with Irina that Miriam begins to delve into her childhood and growing up during the second world war. She talks through her family, loss, and having to hide away, and it is through facing her past that she finds forgiveness in the present.

While the story is remarkable, and the set a lovely backdrop for the telling of it, the play seems to run away with itself. The back wall of letters and pictures that the projections are laid over distorts some of the media and makes it hard to see what is being displayed at times. Also, the young version of Miriam jumps from age to age, but it is not always clear where we are and she constantly is on the move even in moments that need quiet. It felt like they tried to do too much at once and elements of the play were lost because of it.

Both actors do a wonderful job and you see the real Miriam shine through the text in little jokes and off the cuff remarks made by both versions of her. Their acting is superb and you can tell they really worked on getting the chaotic energy of young Miriam and the peaceful calmness of older Miriam just right. However, it was odd for the two to have vastly different accents throughout.

One of the most intriguing parts of the play though, was Matthew James Hinchcliffe. He never spoke, but he provided a powerful range of sounds that kept the play moving and the scenes grounded. From the beautiful music to the harsh sounds of breathing he created with his clarinet, it connected the audience to what it felt in each moment that Miriam encountered.

The play ends with a clip of Miriam making porridge and you can’t help but smile. There is no doubt that Miriam Freedman has lived an extraordinary life and her story is one that should be told, and that Diane Samuels took a lot of care in getting her story right, but some things just didn’t land. It’s worth a watch, but 90 minutes didn’t feel enough to get to the crux of this seemingly beautiful person in one show.

At Arcola Theatre until 1 March 2025.
★ ★ ★