My Name is Rachel Corrie at Etcetera Theatre Review
Written by Bronagh for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
Content warnings: description of military violence and death
At the time of writing this review, at least 59,676 Palestinians have been confirmed dead since October 7th 2023 when Israel’s war on Gaza began. It is believed that there are thousands buried underneath the rubble. The front pages of mainstream newspapers and their websites are heavily featuring images of skeletal Palestinian children alongside talk of aid being dropped into Gaza. But this didn’t start on October 7th 2023.
My Name is Rachel Corrie takes us back twenty-two years, to 2003. We meet 23-year-old activist Rachel Corrie as she prepares to travel to Palestine to assist other activists in their efforts to prevent the Israeli military from wrongfully demolishing Palestinian property.
We first meet Rachel Corrie (Lyndsey Ruiz) in her messy bedroom in the United States, with a backdrop of posters of musical acts and postcards from around the world. She talks about her activism so far, her school, and family life. She dances around to 80s hits, visits the lake, chats with friends, and writes in her diary. It’s not too unlike watching your average 20-something, really, until Corrie gives up her comfortable life in the USA, landing in Israel ready to work alongside other members of the International Solidarity Movement. We watch as she builds connections with Palestinian families, hides from Israeli tanks, and watches on at the painful checkpoints of Rafah.
My Name is Rachel Corrie is based upon Corrie’s diary entries, letters and emails, originally edited by the late Alan Rickman and current editor in chief of The Guardian, Katharine Viner. As well as so clearly bringing the streets of Palestine to the stage, this brings humanity to Corrie’s story, the fire in her soul prominent throughout. There are parts throughout where Corrie isn’t particularly complimentary towards her parents, for example. These could have easily been cut, but the inclusion really brings home that this is the real-life story of a young woman, bringing dimension to Corrie.
A one-woman show is no mean feat, and Etcetera’s production of My Name is Rachel Corrie is no different. Ruiz does Corrie beautiful justice. There were a few minor hiccups, with Ruiz once having to ask for a line and a few instances of incorrect words. Although fairly noticeable, I wouldn’t say this hindered my enjoyment of the show; given the emotive topic, and perhaps the pressure felt, I think a few trip ups are understandable.
A stunning moment is when Corrie responds to an email from her father. The passion erupts from Ruiz, and she reenacts telling her father how happy she is that he is ‘stepping up’ his anti-war work and wondering what to do with her life post Palestine. Of course, this moment never comes for Corrie.
My Name is Rachel Corrie, and extremely sadly, it also documents Corrie’s untimely and shocking death. A projection on the back wall of the theatre and a voiceover of a witness testimony explains that Corrie was ran over by an Israeli bulldozer as she tried to protect a home from being demolished. The silence in the small theatre was broken by audience members attempting to stifle sobs, as the graphic details are read out in front of a board with Free Palestine spraypainted on. The show concludes with this video footage of a 12-year-old Corrie speaking at a school press conference on world hunger, in a touching tribute to the young woman who simply wanted change.
Twenty years since the premiere of My Name is Rachel Corrie, and not a lot has changed. Palestinians are still being killed and displaced on a daily basis. We are still shouting for change, echoing the words that luckily Corrie did extensively note throughout her short life. This is a highly emotive and raw production, showcasing a remarkable young woman’s desire for justice and human rights for all.
At the Etcetera Theatre until 27th July 2025
★ ★ ★ ★
