Review: MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE, Young Vic

My Name is Rachel Corrie is revived at The Young Vic 12 years after its debut at the Royal Court. Edited by the late Alan Rickman and Guardian editor Katherine Viner and based on the writings of Corrie herself, the play is a thought-provoking story told with the utmost humanity.

Rachel Aliene Corrie was an activist and diarist. After going to Gaza as part of her senior-year college project, she became a member of pro-Palestinian group the International Solidarity Movement (ISM). She joined other ISM activists in an attempt to stop the Israeli army's demolition of Palestinian houses.

Less than two months after her arrival, on March 16, 2003, Corrie was killed during an Israeli military operation, after a three-hour confrontation between Israeli soldiers operating two bulldozers.

The nature of her death is disputed, with ISM activists saying that the solider deliberately ran over Corrie, whereas Israeli eyewitnesses protest that it was an accident, saying that the bulldozer operator could not see her. An investigation was conducted and the outcome of that labelled her death an accident, causing much distress to Corrie's family.

Playing Rachel, Erin Doherty has a lot to deliver, and at times the pressure of this shows. But, if anything, that benefits her performance, as it allows a softer, less assertive version of Corrie to be revealed.

Her emotions may be erratic, but her actions are precise. Doherty controls the room; all eyes are on her as she reads passages from Corrie's diary. The writing provides a rhythmic wave that Doherty rides with ease, effortlessly delivering the text with a wonderful elegance and satirical wit.

I've seen Doherty in quite a number of productions now, and each time I leave highly impressed. She is playful, charismatic and bursting with enthusiasm, making her one of the most exciting young actors currently working in theatre right now.

Sophie Thomas's set a stripped-back construction site. Plywood panels, lit by blood-like red gels, envelope the room and the bare stage is a harsh reminder of the Gaza border. JMK award-winning Josh Roche's direction is intimate, and intelligently puts across the brutalised world that we live in.

The production could be seen as romanticising Corrie's life, but it's the sentimentality that keeps you engaged. A crash helmet conveys safety, the boots and dungarees show the building blocks of political activism, and a hi-vis jacket is a symbol of protest.

If the show had to be summed up into one word, that word would be brave. Everything about it is so: the material, Doherty's performance, and each creative decision. It's from taking a leap of faith that the play soars, creating a powerful 80-minute story.

The production has real impact, making you question your decisions in life, and whether or not they are to the benefit of solely you, or others as well.

My Name is Rachel Corrie at The Young Vic until 26 October

Photo Credit: Ellie Kurttz

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