 November 2009 Educating Rita by Willy Russell |
 |
Directed by John Richardson A delight throughout Michael Gray A deserved ovation Braintree & Witham Times  |
|
EDUCATING RITA is play of two characters set in a room of a university in the north of England. Frank is a tutor of English whose disillusioned outlook on life drives him to seek refuge in bottles of whisky he hides on his bookshelves. Rita is a forthright, young hairdresser who is hungry to find some meaning to life and "know everything". With Frank as her tutor, Rita embarks on an Open University course and her education process begins. The effects are both amusing and serious when her fresh, intuitive approach becomes clouded and stifled, as she grapples with the problem of a formal education geared to the passing of exams. |
||
 Rita (Carol Parradine) arrives for her first Open University tutorial. |
 As Rita is exploring Frank's (Adam Thompson) room, she talks frankly about his picture. |
 Frank and Rita discuss one of Rita's essays during a tutorial. |
 Frank marks some essays while waiting for Rita to arrive. |
 Frank is not impressed with Rita's latest work. |
 Frank considers how to explain improvements to Rita. |
 Frank packs for Australia after "making a bit of a night it" on the booze a couple of weeks previously. |
 As the curtain closes, Rita gives Frank the haircut she promised him in the first scene. |