This autumn, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru will present a package of work to raise awareness of the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza and to forge new creative connections between young people in Wales and Palestine – with a new Welsh-language translation of the play My Name is Rachel Corrie and a creative project with Ashtar Theatre, a vitally important theatre company in Ramallah, Palestine.
Fy Enw i yw Rachel Corrie is a stirring monologue based on the diaries and e-mails of a young American activist, who was killed in 2003 by an Israeli Army bulldozer as she was trying to prevent the demolition of a Palestinian home. As relevant now as ever, the play follows Rachel’s journey from her suburban life to the middle of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and described the cruelty and humanity she experiences in Gaza.
In a new translation from the acclaimed poet and playwright Menna Elfyn, this is the first time that the play has been presented in Welsh and features actress Hannah Daniel as Rachel, under the direction of Steffan Donnelly. The creative team also includes Maariyah Sharjil as Set and Costume Designer, Elanor Higgins as Lighting Designer and British-Palestinian musician Kareem Samara as Sound Designer. Jihan Rizqallah – the first female stage manager from Palestine – also joins the team.
The original English play was jointly edited by Katharine Viner and the late Alan Rickman, and it was first performed in 2005 at the Royal Court Theatre in London. To date, the play has been performed in 20 countries, including Israel, and has been translated into 12 languages.
While discussing adapting Rachel’s words to Welsh, Menna Elfyn said:
“In adapting this play from the original English, news came of another ‘Rachel Corrie’ - Aysenur Ezgi Eygi, a Turkish-American graduate and activist who was shot in the head in the West Bank in September 2024. That’s why this play is so prescient. Epic theatre of life and death and of consequential importance.
Be ready to feel sorrow but also ready to rejoice – in the joy and idealism of a young woman who wanted to save the world through peaceful means but failed to save herself in the continued turmoil of one of the most perilous places on earth.”
Alongside the presentations of Fy Enw i yw Rachel Corrie, Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is working with the team at Ashtar Theatre to develop creative connections between young people in Wales and Palestine. Using the power of poetry as a universal language, participants will take part in a series of online workshops led by artists from Palestine and Wales, aiming to amplify young voices and foster cross-cultural understanding. With support from Literature Wales, the project will culminate in the creation of a trilingual poem in Arabic, Welsh and English, as well as a short film featuring young participants from Wales and Palestine.
Ashtar Theatre has been working in Palestine since 1991, using theatre to create social change and offering theatre training programmes. In November 2023, they launched an urgent request to theatre makers around the world to publicly read or perform The Gaza Monologues, testimonies written by Ashtar youth in 2010 and 2014. Hundreds of professional and non-professional groups across 60 countries performed live readings of the Monologues, as well as live-streaming and releasing pre-recorded readings. To further engage the global creative community, Ashtar Theatre then launched Letters to Gaza and received a world-wide response with more than 70 submissions of letters, poems, songs and more. The company have also been fundraising to enable a psycho-social trauma relief intervention for Palestinian children, which has so far reached 650 individuals including some of the Gaza Monologues authors who are being supported remotely.
Emile Saba, Ashtar’s Artistic Director, said:
“We are excited at Ashtar Theatre for this important collaboration with Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru - Wales, as it comes during a crucial time for Palestinians. Palestinian identity, artists and culture are being attacked and censored, and this project comes as a platform for human connection and exchange of experiences and dreams between youth from Palestine and Wales to create a safe space, to think, to feel and to write together. Remembering all the activists, journalists and artists who dedicate their lives to a mission of defending freedom and people’s dignity.“
The performances and project are part of Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru’s mission to create Welsh-language work that tackles current affairs and global conversations. The company’s intention is to facilitate and create a space for further Welsh-language discussions about the current humanitarian crisis facing two million people in Gaza (half of them children).
Steffan Donnelly, the company’s Artistic Director, said:
"Theatre that tackles current affairs and global conversations is important in the Welsh language. It offers opportunities to spark conversations and to improve our understanding of the world.
My Name is Rachel Corrie was first staged almost 20 years ago as a call for change and sadly it is as relevant now as ever. With conflict ongoing, it's our duty to raise our voices, facilitate conversations and shine light on the humanitarian crisis facing the people of Gaza.
Using theatre to create social change, Ashtar Theatre’s crucial work has inspired me for years. So it’s a privilege to collaborate with them and young people in Wales and Palestine. It will be a special and mindful project including exciting co-creation and sharing cultures and languages – with a message of peace at its heart.”
Fy Enw i yw Rachel Corrie will be presented at three locations: Galeri Caernarfon on 16 October, Sherman Theatre (Cardiff) on 18 October and Yr Egin (Carmarthen) on 19 October. Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru are offering low ticket prices for these performances, so that audiences are able to donate to charities supporting those affected by the conflict in Gaza, if they wish.