She becomes a waitress, which gives her more time to study. Initially Rita has more enthusiasm for the subject than understanding, but she makes good progress, and is eventually able to discuss literature on equal terms with Frank's college students. This comes across in the scene where she rushes to tell him of her excitement at seeing a production of "Macbeth" or the one where he introduces her to Blake. Despite their differences, Rita and Frank become friends, probably because he retains just enough idealism to be touched by her naive enthusiasm. Although he still earns a living from teaching literature, he has lost his enthusiasm for the subject. He turns up drunk to lectures and mocks his students and the university authorities. (She is having an affair with one of his colleagues). He gave up writing poetry after the breakdown of his marriage and his relationship with his girlfriend Julia is also collapsing. In his youth, when he was a published poet, he doubtless shared her ideals, but now in middle age he is a bored, cynical alcoholic. The irony of the film is that Frank possesses what Rita most earnestly desires- learning and culture- but does not appreciate it. In doing so, however, she comes into conflict with her working-class family, who have no sympathy with her intellectual aspirations, and her cheerfully Philistine husband Denny, whose only desire is to start raising a family. As she puts it, she "wants to sing a better song". She wants to study literature as a means of self-realisation and as a way of getting a wider perspective on the world. She has not enrolled in higher education in her mid-twenties to earn more money or to get a better job, but rather because she believes in education for its own sake. She is intelligent with a sharp wit, but with little formal schooling, whereas he is a highly qualified middle-class academic. The screenplay (also written by Russell) opens up the action to bring in other characters, but Rita and Frank are still very much at the centre. In Willie Russell's original stage play, there were only two characters, Rita and her tutor Frank Bryant. (This is a scheme in Britain whereby adults can study for a degree at home). T083779817 Company Threelance Theatre Company.Rita White, a young Liverpool hairdresser, enrols on an Open University course to study literature. T0518302728 Producer Open University (in association with Day for Night Theatre).Įlectric Theatre, Guildford :: V01732805351 T0665366449 Producer University of Derby. T1666693436 Producer David Babani (for The Menier Chocolate Factory Productions). Menier Chocolate Factory, Outer London :: V341546307 T270920824 Producer Menier Chocolate Factory. T01762863475 Producer Eastbourne Theatres (in association with talking Scarlet). T1479714847Newly updated by its author Company Library Theatre Company. Sound Jennifer Tallon-Cahill (sound associate). T1833435298Age Recommendation 11+ Producer Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse. T01932414017 Producer Mercury Theatre Colchester. T01659455497 Producer The Mill at Sonning. Minerva Theatre, Chichester :: V1310317653 T01348792535 Corporate Sponsor ITD Consultants. Performer Taj Atwal (Rita).īrindley Arts Centre, Runcorn :: V1448285374 Performer John Bennett.Ĭapstone Theatre, Liverpool :: V0538369222 T811890685 Producer Octagon Theatre Bolton. Queen's Theatre Hornchurch, Hornchurch :: V41 T1377229220 Producer Queen's Theatre Hornchurch. New Vic Theatre, Newcastle-under-Lyme :: V119 Performer Stephen Tompkinson (Frank).ĭarlington Hippodrome (formerly Civic Theatre), Darlington :: V562 T02056284783 Producer Theatre by the Lake. T1222279217 Producer Wimpole Productions. Kings Theatre Portsmouth, Southsea :: V780 MAST Mayflower Studios, Southampton :: V0645856574īlackpool Grand Theatre, Blackpool :: V518ĭevonshire Park Theatre, Eastbourne :: V665 Rose Theatre Kingston, Kingston :: V051452426 Theatre Royal, Newcastle upon Tyne :: V570Ĭapitol Horsham (formerly Horsham Arts Centre), Horsham :: V723 Archive listings for Educating RitaWork type: Play.
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