Synopsis

Educating Rita is one of Willy Russell’s best known plays, drawing on every emotion to produce a profoundly moving, yet also hilarious play which looks at a working class woman’s attempts to change her social circumstances through pursuit of an Open University qualification.
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Rita is a working-class hairdresser, married to Denny. She has enrolled on an Open University course in an attempt to discover herself and better her circumstances. Rita has realized that she is out of step with most of her family and friends as she is not prepared to settle for what she has already got. Her tutor is Frank, a frustrated poet and academic, who works as a lecturer at a university. He is an alcoholic and, to begin with, is less than enthusiastic about taking Rita on as a student. However, he is fascinated by her take on life and realizes that she has academic potential. Under his cynical guidance, Rita grows in confidence and understanding and embraces a new bohemian, student lifestyle, much to Frank’s dismay. Frank cannot stand the pretentious, pompous attitudes of her new friends, but Rita does not understand his cynical reaction. With her newfound knowledge, Rita starts to distance herself from Frank, believing him to be bitter and unappreciative of his poetic talent. She becomes more arrogant and false in her behaviour, even altering her accent to try and fit in with the middle class students. However, Rita soon realizes how ridiculous her lifestyle has become. After being reported for lecturing whilst drunk, Frank faces a forced two-year sabbatical in Australia, which leaves the future unclear for both of them, yet Frank welcomes the possibilities of the change.

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Please note, this play contains moderate bad language and as such may not be suitable for children.