A one-woman show about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict comes to the Greenwich Theatre this week, telling the true story of an American woman killed by an Israeli bulldozer while trying to defend a home in Gaza.
My Name is Rachel Corrie stars Cassie Bradley and is directed by James Haddrell, the theatre’s artistic director.
Haddrell said it was “an inspiring story — and all the more inspiring because Rachel is so relatable”.
“She was a young woman who couldn’t ignore injustice once she’d seen it, but she also battled with her own challenges – the distractions of everyday life,” he said..
“These varied from fashion magazines versus writing in her journals, chasing boys or chasing causes, loving home against the giant pull of overseas issues.
“She was enraged by American politics and American foreign policy, but in the very real way that anyone is when they first start to grapple with a host of new and complex ideas. Her diaries show that – her everyday challenge to understand more.”
Corrie was killed in 2003 while trying to stop the home of a pharmacist from being demolished by the Israeli army. The play is based on her diaries and emails, edited by the journalist Katharine Viner – now editor of The Guardian – and Alan Rickman. The play made its debut at the Royal Court Theatre in 2005.
Haddrell said that Corrie was committed to writing – a diarist, poet and compulsive list maker. “The show reveals the urgency of that – her need to document in words the things she saw,” he said.
“The message is important, as it’s often misunderstood by people who haven’t seen the show. This isn’t an antisemitic piece that champions all Palestinians at the expense of all Israelis.
“Rachel herself wrote: ‘It’s important to draw a firm distinction between the policies of Israel as a state, and Jewish people.’ That’s kind of a no-brainer.
“This is a piece about rage and injustice, commitment and fear, and the feeling of impotence in the face of huge opposition, and about joy and determination and challenging our definition of a hero. Rachel was utterly normal and utterly extraordinary at the same time.”
Haddrell, who has worked with Bradley before, said she got in touch with him asking if he would be interested in directing her in the play.
“Cassie is a very busy actor – she’s even in the Hollywood release Practical Magic 2 which just came out – but luckily our diaries aligned and here we are,” he said.
‘I couldn’t be happier to be working on this show with her. We’ve read about the Ed Sheeran issues – and in general about conflicting views in the US.
‘In this country there doesn’t seem to be quite the division that’s evident in America. My sense is that the vast minority of people here are either pro-Palestinian freedom or not engaged with the conflict.”
Bradley said: “Rachel Corrie’s story is one I’ve known for some time, and I’m honoured to have the opportunity to tell it on stage. It’s a story of courage, spirit and what it is to be human in the face of conflict. Rachel’s words, ideals and questions are as relevant today as when she wrote them.
“Alan Rickman and Katherine Viner have crafted such a beautiful and powerful play, exploring what we’re prepared to live and die for.“
Haddrell said that the play had been accused of antisemitism, but he dismissed the criticism. “It’s possible to separate the ideologies of governments and the people affected by those ideologies, but that truth gets lost,” he said.
My Name is Rachel Corrie opens on Tuesday (September 29) and runs until October 18 at Greenwich Theatre Studio.
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