True story of Holocaust survival and forgiveness in As Long As We Are Breathing at the Arcola Theatre

Sarah Lawrie presents:

As Long As We Are Breathing

Meditations on Survival and Beyond

True story of surviving the Holocaust and forging a path to acceptance and forgiveness

Written by Diane Samuels | Directed by Ben Caplan 

Arcola Theatre, 29 January – 1 March

A real-life story about trauma, survival and ultimately healing, As Long As We Are Breathing combines physical theatre and music with audio and video to depict the extraordinary journey of Miriam Freedman who, after surviving the Holocaust, managed to find her way to forgiveness. Born in Bratislava (then Czechoslovakia, now Slovakia), Miriam spent most of her childhood during the Second World War in hiding with her mother, sister, aunts and cousin. Through amazing good fortune and with courageous help they evaded Nazi capture, but her father, brother and another sister did not survive. Weaving together her early years and adulthood, two actresses play younger and older Miriam on her healing path as she discovers yoga, meditation and art therapy which enable her to break through denial to face and process the depths of her loss and grief.

Inspired by interviews with Miriam and drawing on her memoir Love Is Always the Answer, As Long As We Are Breathing is written by award-winning writer Diane Samuels (Kindertransport). Directed by Ben Caplan, the show was developed at JW3 last year and will make its world premiere at Arcola Theatre. Two actresses play older Miriam and Eva, her younger self, accompanied by a live musician. Miriam Freedman is now ninety and based in North London where she continues to run meditation sessions each month.

Diane Samuels said, “The piece is framed as a meditation led by older Miriam with the audience. Throughout there are moments to pause, breathe and integrate what emerges. The title evokes the shared experience of Miriam and her family trapped in hiding facing peril in any moment. This new work for theatre, we are discovering as it grows and ripens, is quietly radical, offering a communal experience of intimate connection with self, a coming together of minds and, most importantly, hearts.”  

Diane Samuels was born and grew up in Liverpool and now lives in London where she has been writing professionally for over thirty years. Her play KINDERTRANSPORT won the Verity Bargate and Meyer Whitworth Awards, and has been performed in the West End, Off-Broadway and all over the world. Other work includes THE TRUE-LIFE FICTION OF MATA HARI, Palace Theatre, Watford, 2002; 3 SISTERS ON HOPE STREET, with Tracy-Ann Oberman, at Liverpool Everyman and Hampstead Theatre, London, 2008; THE A-Z OF MRS P, with composer Gwyneth Herbert, at Southwark Playhouse, 2014; POPPY + GEORGE, Palace Theatre, Watford, 2016; THIS IS ME, snapshots of girlhood, interactive memoir as monologue, Chickenshed, 2018. Plays for BBC radio, include Woman’s Hour serial, TIGER WINGS. In 2005, she was Pearson Creative Research Fellow at the British Library. She has been involved in two Wellcome Trust award-winning projects in 2001 and 2016. Her new play AS LONG AS WE ARE BREATHING premiers at the Arcola Theatre, London Jan 29^th to March 1^st 2025. Her plays and book, “DIANE SAMUELS’ KINDERTRANSPORT” are published by Nick Hern Books. WALTZ WITH ME was published by Renard Press in 2023.

Ben Caplan in an actor and director. Trained at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama, his acting theatre work includes Macbeth (Globe), The Merchant of Venice (Sam Wanamaker) and most recently A Sherlock Carol (Marylebone). His film work includes Rocknrolla. His television credits include Small Axe (BBC), Call the Midwife BBC (series regular 1-6); and Band of Brothers (HBO/BBC- winner Of Golden globe and Emmy Best Mini-Series). Radio work includes The Archers; Before the Fact and Kicking the Air and directing includes The Monkey’s Paw (Arrow), Intelligence, Silence, Panic Buy, Embraceable You, Snap.Catch,Slam (Pleasance/UK tour),The Collector (Arcola Theatre) and Running Free (JW3).

Sarah Lawrie is a producer and actress and has been making theatre since 2013. Most recently she produced GOOD BOY (The Space UK, Edfringe 2024), IN DEFIANCE OF GRAVITY (King’s Head Theatre/Summerhall), the European premiere of 1979 (Finborough Theatre), STITCHES (Hope Theatre), WHAT I REALLY THINK OF MY HUSBAND (Golden Goose Theatre), three-times Off West End Award nominated THE QUALITY OF MERCY: CONCERNING THE LIFE & CRIMES OF DR HAROLD FREDERICK SHIPMAN (Courtyard Theatre/EdFringe 2023), THE GOOD DAD (EdFringe 2023/Playground Theatre), SHUTTERS: A LESBIAN ROCK OPERA (Omnibus Theatre) and Arts Council funded web series LEAR ALONE which won Best Series at Off West End’s OnComm Awards 2022. Other work includes ASSISTED (EdFringe 2022 – nominated for the BBC Writers’ Room Popcorn Award), THIS BITTER EARTH (White Bear Theatre), LOVE & DESTRUCTION (Playground Theatre), LEAVES (Jermyn Street Theatre), POWER LUNCHEON (Hope Theatre), SCROUNGER (Finborough Theatre – winner of Best New Play at the Off West End Awards 2021), web series LATE NIGHT STARING AT HIGH RES PIXELS (winner of London Pub Theatre’s Standing Ovation Award for Best Theatre Online) and TIMELESS (Space Theatre and touring). Sarah is a founding member of And Tomorrow Theatre Company, whose inaugural production, DEATH OF A HUNTER, premiered at the Finborough Theatre in 2018 and transferred to the Brighton Fringe Festival. In 2019 she produced the world premiere of EDRED, THE VAMPYRE for The London Horror Festival. Co-producing credits include MY ROMANTIC HISTORY (Old Red Lion), TREE HOUSE (Brewhouse Theatre Taunton and touring), MADAME BOVARY (Hope Theatre), ORANGES & INK (Tristan Bates Theatre and touring) and THE MARVELLOUS ADVENTURES OF MARY SEACOLE (C Venues, EdFringe 2016).

Running Time: 90 minutes | Suitable for ages 12+, there are themes of conflict, persecution, loss and explicit references to The Holocaust. All performances are relaxed

Company information

Director: Ben Caplan

Writer: Diane Samuels

Set designer: Isabella Van Braeckel

Lighting designer: Tom Turner

Music Editor: Jonathan Fiber

Video Designer: Douglas Baker

Dramaturg: Titania Krimpas

Design Associate: Lucy Fowler

Stage Manager (On the Book): Jessica Taylor

Movement Director: Jasmin Colangelo

Cast

Zoe Goriely

Caroline Gruber

Matthew Hinchliffe

Listings information

29^th January – 1^st March

Arcola Theatre, 24 Ashwin St, London E8 3DL

Preview Wednesday 29/1/25

Press Night Thursday 30/1/25

Performances at 7pm Monday – Saturday | Matinees on Saturdays at 3pm

PREVIEW TICKETS – Best £25, Value £15, PWYC £5 | STANDARD TICKETS  – Best £29, Best (concession) £27, Value £20, PWYC £5 | 020 7503 1646

Social media

Twitter: @arcolatheatre

Instagram: @arcolatheatre

Facebook: arcolatheatre

#AsLongAsWeAreBreathing

Supported by Lemon Soul Ltd | JW3 | The Forgiveness Project