Review of ‘As Long As We’re Breathing’: “An expired heart”

The Arcola Theatre welcomes the London premiere of Diane Samuels’s Holocaust-themed play, picturing the strife of the Jewish community through a spiritual, yoga-based frame. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if its transcendent narrative style brings koshas to its kosher tale.

Life is a sigh. It’s a passing line we so often take for granted. But little do we know how much it can mean for others: those who have witnessed that short wheeze vanish from the ones they love; those who have treasured every speck of its air, until the wind no longer blows in their direction; and those whose only suspires have been snatched and replaced by gasps of terror.

This month, the Arcola Theatre presents As Long As We’re Breathing, a new play depicting the horrors of the Holocaust through the eyes of an elder female survivor. Penned by Diane Samuels and directed by Ben Clapan, the piece takes us on a mystical journey combining the harrowing memories of her grief-stricken adolescence with the philosophical learnings of a yoga class.

Truly, a one-of-a-kind approach on a subject that, you would have thought, has already been introduced in every imaginable form, the script manages to bring some degree of originality in terms of framing and style. But despite its efforts to shed a new light on the obscure events that would forever scar the face of history, there’s next to no substance to be grasped in what, ultimately, feels like one more story about the same theme – where neither content or structure are able to endure.

With its outline absent of proper cohesiveness, the whole recount suffers from an ongoing lack of pacing and grip. There’s basically no hook to be taken by all through the rendition, which despite the cast’s brilliant attempts, shows very little poignancy and sentiment – all in all, giving a sense of shallowness and indifference that the viewer just can’t ignore; or eventually, even share.

Beautifully staged through Isabella Van Braeckel’s imaginative set design and Tom Turner’s transporting lighting, the production excels in the high theatricality of its choices. Its visual power is by far its most engrossing feature – which, added to the musicality of its live sound-effect-based underscore, makes of the montage a prominent feature; completely excelling in its own craftsmanship, but also completely detached from the lower quality of its writing.

With a 3-part company consisting of a narrator and her younger self, as well as a foley performer, the troupe shows great chemistry and flair in their portrayals – bringing out charm and honesty in their delivery through an amicable, intimate vibe projected all throughout. There are some debatable aspects in their interpretation – as the use of an Eastern European accent for the raconteur, taken over by an English substitute in her teenage version, is off-putting to say the least. And even if there’s an intentional dramatic purpose behind it, it creates nothing but confusion before it starts to make any sense (if it ever does).

Bringing a fresh look into an old topic that, for better or worse, hasn’t lost its relevancy in today’s world, As Long As We’re Breathing poses as an interesting retake on the Jewish massacre, by mixing its spiritual touch with the soulless reality it covers. Yet, its moves provide hardly any depth and care to let audiences be swayed by its mantras. Under the right instructions, the play could actually come as a pungent, thought-provoking concept – conveying a similar message through a revitalized set of values. But before that artistic Nirvana is even glimpsed, every element of its storytelling must be worked out at full stretch.

As Long As We’re Breathing plays at London’s Arcola Theatre until 1 March. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara