Nadya Shaw Bennett as Rachel Corrie. Photo supplied.
American peace martyr Rachel Corrie was heart-rendingly
resurrected by Nadya Shaw Bennett at Allen Hall on Thursday
night.
My Name is Rachel Corrie is based on the writings of
the 23-year-old American peace activist, who was crushed to
death by an Israeli bulldozer in the Gaza Strip in 2003 while
acting as a human shield in front of a Palestinian house.
It is also a story of a young person's loss of innocence and
coming of age, in a world far uglier and more violent than
our forefathers could have feared.
"I live in a terrifying mirror," Corrie reflects.
"It hurts me again, like it has hurt me in the past, to
witness how awful we can allow the world to be."
Bennett is engaging, confident and comfortable with her
audience.
As much, you suspect, as the headstrong Corrie would have
been.
The one-person polemic is a multilayered production, with
subtle and skilful lighting and visual effects by set
designer Marty Roberts and empathetic direction from Stuart
Young.
Corrie's notebook jottings, emails to her parents and images
of her inspirations are projected across the back of the
stage as Bennett talks us through her all-too short life.
My Name is Rachel Corrie was edited from her diaries
and emails by Katherine Viner and directed by Alan Rickman
when it premiered at the Royal Court Theatre, London, in
April, 2005.
The play reveals a compassionate, idealistic young person who
is fiercely committed to making the world a better place.
While not really knowing what that world is.
"We're all just kids, curious about other kids," Corrie
muses.
The play closes with a compelling video showing the late
Rachel Corrie as a child in the 1980s, speaking at a peace
convention about her hopes for the future.
Knowing that that future ends under a 60-tonne Caterpillar
D9R bulldozer is heart-wrenchingly poignant.
You are left saddened by the premature loss of a passionate
and compassionate young soul.
And even more saddened at what that loss says about our
world.
A compelling and, at times, quite mesmerising piece of
theatre.
• My Name is Rachel Corrie is on at 7.30pm at Allen
Hall until March 7.
Matinee session at 4pm tomorrow and next Sunday.
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