My Name is Rachel Corrie

Rachel Corrie was just 23 when she died in horrifying circumstances. Crushed to death while protesting against the destruction of Palestinian homes, her death was reported around the world, begging the question of what a young American woman was doing there to begin with.

If the story had been ever so slightly different, the Hollywood rights would have been sold by the time the second editions hit the shelves. As it is, a British company took on the challenge to tell Corrie's story. This Royal Court production, directed by Alan Rickman, comes to the Fringe direct from the West End.

It would be impossible to describe the Rachel Corrie portrayed here without using the word naive. The aspiring writer apparently discovered activism after attending a local knowledge class, and travelled to Palestine clutching a copy of Let's Go: Israel.

This is a story that needs to be heard, engagingly told in its subject's own words - from daft early diaries to an impassioned email to her parents explaining why she felt unable to go home. By the time actress Josephine Taylor delivers this forceful speech - sharply articulate, her voice cracking with emotion - the audience is primed to listen.

The only problem is that since this is a monologue there's no one to challenge the wisdom of Corrie's approach; to suggest that an American citizen outraged at her government's actions might be better placed to make a difference if she returned home. Of course, in the end she did manage to raise awareness of the Palestinian plight (albeit not for long in the US as coverage was shamefully brief), but only by making the ultimate sacrifice.

The quiet, unsensational ending uses audio of eye witnesses giving accounts of Corrie's final protest. A TV screen then flickers into life, onto which is played footage of the activist as a young girl, addressing her school assembly with a speech about world hunger.

While some may find My Name is Rachel Corrie overwhelmingly depressing, a pair of twenty-something women I overheard were clearly inspired as well as moved, as their animated talk of quitting university to 'really do something' demonstrated.