experience what she did by explaining in detail what she saw, smelt, heard and so on. I remember thinking, all we can do now is imagine. Imagine what it was like, but no-one can really imagine the horror of such a place. Even in the theatre I cannot create that place, but what I can do is create theatre that makes the audience think, feel and hear. When it comes to the imagination I believe theatre is the most important tool in the box.
Which human aspects of the experience of Auschwitz were the most important for you?
I found the experiences of the Jewish prisoners, those that survived, to be inspiring. Despite being faced with tremendous adversity with the evil of the Nazi movement, they were able to retain their spirits to eventually overcome the evil intentions of their Nazi captors. The hope which the people maintained in order to survive the daily horrors of Auschwitz inspired me with my characters.
We look at Auschwitz today not only as an historical event - one of the huge challenges is to see some universal lessons there that should trigger reflection in us today. What reflections do you wish to trigger in the audience that will come to see your play?
One of the reflections that I want my play to show, is that persecution is still prevalent, albeit not to the same extent as that suffered by those during the Holocaust. Anti-Semitic views still exist today and with the re-emergence of far right policies all over the word, we must be ensure that such extremist policies never again repeat the horrors of the past.
Prisoners at "the Kanada" section in Auschwitz