Digital Reporter Miranda Wade joined us for our opening weekend of Educating Rita. So what did she think of it…
In the dark hush of the Lowry’s Quays Theatre, a thought occurs – a decision, if you will – that fills this reviewer with a disproportionate sense of responsibility: am I the only person here who hasn’t seen this play before, or watched the film. Was I right?
Willy Russell’s darling of recent British comedy, Educating Rita is one of those stories people invariably love. If you missed it too, think Pygmalion circa 1980. Pushing thirty, Rita (Gillian Kearney) enrols in the Open University, convinced that studying literature will help her to discover herself. Tutor Frank (Philip Bretherton) is encouraging and knowledgeable, but similarly disenchanted with his life in academia. Thrown together, the pair unwittingly partake in each other’s lives. It’s a fine premise, though not always relatable for a post-Google audience.
Director Chris Honer presents the fragile relationship between Rita and Frank, with Kearney and Bretherton suitably sparky and assured performers. Comic quips and rapid-fire exchanges make light of more sinister themes, but even Rita’s infectious optimism is overshadowed by the weight of her struggles. She is isolated, vilified, determined to succeed, and it is the underlying drama of this narrative that shines best.
The play toys with ideas around the value of education. Why does Rita want to learn anyway? And given the chance, would Frank trade his life for another? Rita wants to go to the theatre, to be further immersed in the culture she so openly craves. Is the message, then, that theatre-going is more ‘cultural’ than the pub nights of drink and song she eschews? Theatre ticket in hand, I wonder how to feel.
The set is richly textured. It’s a wonder we can’t smell the dog-eared pages lining the walls of Frank’s university office, what Rita calls “a lovely mess”. It’s an apt reflection of their lives too: messy, imperfect, and unexpectedly so. And inspirational nonetheless.
Educating Rita continues its run until Sat 12 Oct 2013. You can book tickets online here or from The Lowry Box Office on 0843 208 6010.