Drama retells 13-year-old girl's Auschwitz survival
More than 30,000 people, including thousands of school children, have watched the play - entitled Kindness - and learned about Susan's story.On arriving at Auschwitz, she was separated from her family, with her mother being sent straight to the gas chambers."There were no hugs, no kisses, no embrace. My mum was just pushed away with the other women and children. The dehumanisation began immediately. I didn't cry, it was as though I'd lost all my emotions," Ms Pollack previously said.The girl was moved to Guben in Germany to work as a slave in an armaments factory, before being freed by the British Army on 15 April 1945.After World War Two ended, she discovered more than 50 of her relatives had been killed, with only her brother surviving.
"The vast majority of pupils will never go to a place like Auschwitz to feel what the biggest graveyard on the planet is like, but this piece of theatre can bring that to every single young person," said Ms Hollis.She founded Voices of the Holocaust, external to create "best practise theatre designed as a springboard for Holocaust education".She said as Holocaust survivors grew older, "they're all acutely aware they don't have a great deal longer to ensure the Holocaust is learned about, and learned from".
Susan's story is not the first to be retold by Voices, which has been dramatising the experiences of Holocaust survivors since 2012.The company is working towards a new production featuring the life of Harry Olmer, 97, who survived concentration camps in Plaszow and Buchenwald.Harry was one of 732 children taken in by the UK after the war, since most of his family had been killed."One thousand were permitted entry, but so few children survived that they were unable to reach the quota," said Ms Hollis."Harry recuperated at Windermere until going on to make a life for himself in the UK. His story is critically important and must never be forgotten."'Kindness' is being performed at JFS Theatre in Kenton, Harrow, London on Monday at 19:30 GMT, to mark Holocaust Memorial Day.
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Scotsman
37 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Miriam Margolyes makes £10,000 gift to Gaza and Edinburgh Festival Fringe fund charities
Miriam Margolyes has split the money between two charities Sign up to our Arts and Culture newsletter, get the latest news and reviews from our specialist arts writers Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Actor Miriam Margolyes has donated £10,000 to charity, splitting the money between a Fringe fund for performers and a charity supporting Palestinians in Gaza. Ms Margolyes, who is in Edinburgh performing her show, Margolyes & Dickens: More Best Bits, at the Fringe, said she wanted to help artists with 'soaring costs'. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad She has previously spoken out against Israel's action in Gaza, urging fellow Jews to call for a ceasefire. Ms Margolyes said: 'I have decided to donate £10,000 split between two charities I am extremely passionate about - 'The Keep It Fringe' fund part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society and Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP). 'The Fringe has given me so much and this money would go towards helping artists with soaring costs to perform. My head and heart are full of the situation in Gaza, where the need for everything is very great. I strongly urge anyone to add to my donation as these are two extremely worthy causes'. Keep It Fringe, which has distributed £1 million to UK-based artists at the festival, was launched by a donation from Fleabag star Phoebe Waller-Bridge in 2023 and has since been supported by a UK government grant. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Miriam Margolyes is back in Edinburgh with Margolyes & Dickens: More Best Bits | Steven Ullathorn Meanwhile, MAP has organised and deployed emergency medical teams to Gaza, bolstering a healthcare system under attack. In October last year, MAP launched the 'Solidarity Polyclinic' in central Gaza, delivering comprehensive healthcare, mental health support, and emergency services to hundreds of patients daily. Annie Turnbull, acting director of fundraising and marketing for MAP, said: 'This generous donation from Miriam Margolyes means more than the financial support - it's a powerful statement of solidarity, of standing with Palestinians, and of standing up for the rights of Palestinians. 'On behalf of MAP, my Palestinian colleagues in Gaza, West Bank and Lebanon, and the people they serve, I would like to thank Miriam for her kindness that will provide urgent care where it's needed most.' Tony Lankester, chief executive of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society, said: "We are incredibly thankful to Miriam Margolyes for supporting the Keep it Fringe Fund, which gives vital, direct help to artists. This kind of contribution has an immediate impact, removing barriers, creating opportunities and enabling more voices to be heard. The more support the fund receives, the more artists we can reach, and we hope others will be inspired to follow Miriam's lead."
The Herald Scotland
an hour ago
- The Herald Scotland
Irvine Welsh opens up on influence of parents for new film
The creator of Trainspotting told The Herald he had agreed to work on an 'intimate portrayal' with Edinburgh-based director Paul Sng despite the 'intimidating' prospect of the documentary exploring his closest relationships. Read more: His wife, actress Emma Currie, appears alongside Welsh in Reality Is Not Enough, the closing gala at this month's Edinburgh International Film Festival, with the documentary featuring footage from their wedding three years ago. Welsh, who was also filmed with some of his longest-lasting friends for the documentary, discusses the importance of his upbringing in Edinburgh, describing the city as both a 'launchpad' and a 'refuge.' Irvine Welsh is the focus of Paul Sng's documentary Reality Is Not Enough. (Image: Chris McCluskie) He reveals how he lost his father before he had even started writing Trainspotting, the debut novel that caused a sensation in the literary world when it was released in 1993. Although they had mutual friends in Edinburgh, Sng and Welsh only met for the first time in 2019, at a Primal Scream concert in Princes Street Gardens in 2019. Irvine Welsh was filmed working around the world for 18 months for the documentary Reality Is Not Enough. (Image: Chris McCluskie | LS Productions) The pair became friends and Sng first broached the subject of making a film with Welsh two years later after they went to see director Todd Haynes' documentary on the rock band The Velvet Underground. Described as an "intimate and hallucinatory portrait" of the writer, Reality Is Not Enough sees Welsh recalling his experiences of growing up in Edinburgh, drug addiction, breaking into the literary scene and seeing his work adapted for film and TV. Irvine Welsh was filmed with his wife, actress Emma Currie, for the documentary Reality Is Not Enough. (Image: Chris McCluskie | LS Productions) Welsh told The Herald: 'I have always resisted doing anything autobiographical. "The thing about being a writer is you live inside your own head all the time. Irvine Welsh is the focus of the documentary Reality Is Not Enough. (Image: Bloody Scotland) 'You don't really think of your life being interesting enough. You forget that you do have a life outside of your own head, which nourishes and informs everything you do. 'I remembering Paul saying to me: 'You're very romantic, you're funny, you're close to your friends and your community is very important.' He really wanted to bring a sense of that. It was quite intimidating for me, as it's always been a private space, but I just thought 'f*** it.' 'He told me he wanted to do a more intimate portrayal, rather than have talking heads saying 'Irvine is great, the 1990s were fabulous, Trainspotting is brilliant' and all that. He wanted to do something quite cinematic and adventurous, and also try to get to where I come from creatively and how I pull things together. I had a lot of trust and belief in him.' Sng said: 'There was a rule right from the beginning not to have other people tell us who their Irvine Welsh is. I think people want to know who Irvine is from his perspective. The trick was to find out how to do that in a natural way. If you follow Irvine for 18 months things are going to come out. 'I think he is poles apart from his persona in the press. People seize on things and think he is confrontational, controversial and maybe swears a lot. They don't know that he is very romantic, very warm, a very loyal friend and also very tall! 'I think Irvine's friends will see the person they know. But I think people that have maybe only read his books and don't know much about him will see a human being, as well as the foibles, passions and failings that we all have. 'Irvine and Emma are the heart and soul of the film. I learned a lot from both of them. I had a very low moment when I was making the film. They were both very much there for me.' In the documentary, Welsh, whose mother lived into her nineties, recalls how the death of his father initially set him off on a 'destructive spiral' but then provided the impetus to focus on writing. He said: 'I was very close to him. He was really good guy. Even though he was really ill, when he actually did die it was quite a shock. To lose someone that you're close to you is a terrible thing. 'My dad had no knowledge of Trainspotting. He was dead before I even put pen to paper to start writing the book. My dad had quite a big personality. He cast quite a big shadow. When that shadow was gone, I came out of myself quite a bit. You can either shrink into nothingness or you can take your person spotlight. I think I kind of did that. 'It was probably the making of me because I cleaned up my act, I focused and realised: 'F*** me, people just die. You've got to do something for yourself. You owe it to them to live your life to the full'.' Welsh had moved to London in the late 1970s but returned about a decade later to work for the city council's housing department and also studied business administration at Heriot-Watt University. He told The Herald: 'I used to sit up all night talking and drinking with my dad. He was my best mate, basically. I used to talk to him about all the things I wanted to do. I had a massive list. 'One of those things was to be a writer, because I thought I could get on with it in my own time and at my own pace. 'I didn't really know how to work with people who were more talented than me. It's something you have to learn if you are a collaborator in music or film. 'The thing about writing is I thought I could just dive in and learn myself. I didn't have anyone to answer to or have anyone looking over my shoulder.' Welsh, who has just celebrated his third anniversary with Currie, has had a hugely productive five years, working on two series of Crime, the drama adapted from his Ray Lennox novels, three books, including Men In Love, the latest novel reuniting his Trainspotting characters, and a planned Trainspotting musical. He said: 'I don't get a sense that I am slowing down at all. When you get more experienced and have knocked out so many books, I don't think you necessarily get better, but you get more efficient. 'I never look back at all and never really look ahead. The timeframe I operate in is the present day, a couple of days in the past and a couple of weeks into the future. It really drives publishers crazy. I don't think it's the best way. It's just the way that I am.' The Herald has teamed up with to make the purchase of tickets for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. To buy tickets, please click here.
Metro
4 hours ago
- Metro
People say this social media habit is 'weird' — but you're probably guilty of it
A new rule has been added to the book of social media etiquette, and honestly, we feel called out. We're all guilty of following an Instagram account or two, just to be nosy. Maybe it's that girl who was popular at school, or that ex boyfriend youlove to hate on. And, so as not to be branded a lurker, you reply to their stories with a simple 'like'. That little heart symbol dances across the screen, and you can rest easy, knowing you're a nice person. Right? Wrong. 'I'm just now finding out that we aren't supposed to like people's IG stories,' wrote LA-based comedian Joey Pleasants on Threads. 'Some people think it's a form of flirting.' There's long been discussion about 'soft-cheating', which refers to the betrayal grey areas that technology brings; things like interacting with posts from Instagram models, subscribing to people's OnlyFans, or watching porn behind your partner's back. And now, liking an Instagram story has been firmly added to the list of shady social media behaviour you must avoid. One commenter had been burnt before, saying: 'My girl's friend complained to her that I was liking their stories, apparently it's weird.' X Factor icon Diana Vickers and Metro's dating expert Alice Giddings dive into your wildest sex, love, and dating dilemmas – every Tuesday. Listen wherever you get your podcasts or watch on YouTube. And be sure to follow and subscribe so you never miss an episode. You can also join the fun on our WhatsApp Group Chat here – share your dilemmas and Diana and Alice may just give you a call. When commenters on Joey's thread questioned why liking a story is such a crime, user Mikayla Schmitt summed it up for everyone. 'You're not supposed to like people's stories if you're in a relationship and the person's story you're liking is a person you find attractive/have an Internet crush on.' She also added: 'The photo could be inappropriate for a person in a relationship to be liking.' It might sound trivial, but 34% of people have ended a relationship due to something happening on social media. But while a story like might seem like nothing to some, for others' it could be a big deal. Nia Williams, founder of relationship coaching service Miss Date Doctor, previously told Metro: 'While physical infidelity is more easily defined… online connections can also be considered cheating, depending on the couple's boundaries and values.' Although one partner may see their online activity as 'curiosity or harmless fun,' Nia advises couples need to discuss how they'll naviage online interactions — including liking a persons' story. She adds: 'Have a heartfelt conversation with your partner where you can express your concerns, establish clear boundaries, and work together to find compromises that honour your relationship values.' If this is you, you're not alone. Many of the commenters on Joey's post admitted to liking stories with reckless abandon — and have recieved likes they can almost guarantee aren't flirtatious. 'Most of my followers are women older than my mother, and they like my stories. Pretty sure Debbie, Barbara, Cheryl, Susan, Linda, Pamela, Lisa, and Patricia aren't flirting with me,' wrote Brandy Simpson. More Trending 'Like what you like. It's why you follow people in the first place — because you like what they do. Let them know. Never waste an opportunity to make someone else feel good.' 'F**k that,' said another. 'Cute aesthetic pic? Heart. You said something funny? Heart. You look pretty? Heart. Food looks yummy? Heart. Idgaf.' Others called themselves 'story-liking goblins' and 'whores' when it came to liking their friends Instagram stories. View More » 'I'm like someone's great aunt on FB,' wrote Asia. 'If I see you having a grand time, looking great, or enjoying life, I'm going to like it. Far too people don't get hyped up and loved on. And in a world where we live at a distance, people need it.' Do you have a story to share? Get in touch by emailing MetroLifestyleTeam@ MORE: Streamer found dead in bed after '10 days of torture and sleep deprivation' MORE: Food influencers narrowly escape death after car crashes into restaurant table mid-review MORE: The perfect age gap if you want a relationship to last
