A round-up of responses for Jocelyn Pook’s Drawing Life which was toured across the UK in January 2016:
4* review in The Times “Multimedia packages of music and video are ten a penny, but I can’t remember one that matched the dynamic blend and emotional appeal of Drawing Life.” Geoff Brown, The Times

5* review in Jewish News “It is quite simply one of the best Holocaust plays of recent years”

4* review in Plays to See “Drawing Life is a defiant and thought provoking piece of theatre. It refuses to adhere to any expectations other than its own, returning power to those that were stripped of everything but their creative voice.”

Woman’s Hour interview with Jocelyn Pook and Emma Bernard “Drawing Life is a beautiful, but unbearably moving performance. The music and singing are stunning. The story of Terezin is terrible, but needs to be told.”  Jenni Murray BBC Radio 4 Woman’s Hour

Read Jocelyn’s blog for The Guardian about the project here.
“A ray of sun is sometimes all it takes for a person trapped under rubble to gather strength and wait for rescuers to arrive. The multi-media performance portrayed beautifully the power of the sound of music, or the colours of a butterfly’s wings  – to bring relief, if only momentary, to the tormented souls and bodies of those like the Terezin Camp’s inmates. It gave the audience the opportunity to realise how important these moments were, through the testimonies of the survivors.” Dan Golan, Director of Culture, Israeli Embassy, London.

“Drawing Life is important because it is not only the story of the Jews in the Holocaust but a reminder to us all to fight bigotry and prejudice. It is a beautiful and inspiring play which makes audiences both weep and reflect.”Lady Solti, Joint-President of JMI

“The performance of Drawing life was intensely moving and  has haunted my thoughts ever since I saw it. It created a soundscape for the astonishing poems and pictures of the children. The seamless direction avoided every cliché. It moved minimalistically and was never sentimental. I loved it.”Maureen Lipman

“One of the most moving things I’ve seen and the most beautiful music I’ve ever heard. So beautifully and simply directed too and the story so clearly told. I thought the recorded and filmed pieces incredibly powerful and finishing with wonderful Alice Herz-Sommer absolutely breathtaking.” Patrick Barlow, Actor and Playwright