Friday, May 16, 2008

My Name is Rachel Corrie

MY NAME IS RACHEL CORRIE, based on the writings of Rachel Corrie by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner. It is being performed as part of the B Sharp Co-Op curated season at Belvoir theatre. A Bareboards Production. This is a diary account by Rachel Corrie of her trip to the Middle East as a peace activist in 2003 which ended in her much publicised death whilst attempting to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. Throughout this account there is a naïve discovery of the world which leads her to a tragic end. The performance by Belinda Bromilow is very, very natural and beautifully low key. It is very mesmerising and even when the writing becomes a little unsatisfactory one stays with the piece. Shannon Murphy has guided the actress through the daunting task of a one person piece with useful assistance from the Lighting and Soundscape. The actress seems assured and it comforts us. It is the trick of literature and the performing arts that tells us the story of one human being that helps us to appreciate great political and historical events. It contextualises it for us. It shifts it from abstract knowledge into a visceral knowing. It is odd to say but it had the same contextualisation that a work like THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK had on me as a teenager.

2 comments:

Pearly Productions said...

I saw this last week. It really is a beautiful eye opening piece. Being very naieve and feeling rather uneducated about the subject matter I thought this story made it accessible and opened the door for me to head out and find out more. Thanks!

Pearl (moderator)

Pearly Productions said...

Heads up everyone... The season has been extended by a week until Sunday 8 June, don't miss out!

Also keep an eye out for Dateline on SBS, 8.30pm Wednesday next week (4 June), there's a story on the show which should be interesting.
http://news.sbs.com.au/dateline/

Pearl (moderator)