Written in the 1970s and receiving its premiere in 1980, Willy Russell's poignant comedy, 'Educating Rita' seems to have been put on the shelf, rarely being tackled these days. In fact, apart from his seminal 'Blood Brothers', Russell's work is much neglected. Perhaps it is time for a resurgence? And if this production of 'Educating Rita' is anything to go by, it is long overdue, and would be welcome as an antidote to the plethora of uber-contemporary pieces being produced and tubthumped as 'worthy'.
'Educating Rita' tells the story of a world-weary and disenchanted-with-his-lot university professor, who, for financial reasons only, agrees to teach an Open University course. In arrives his first pupil, Rita, who is a breath of fresh air for him. In fact she is his complete antithesis. Working class, poorly educated, bossy, forthright, chatty, and with oodles of energy. Yet, despite everything has the capacity to sponge-like, learn the things necessary to achieve results. But does he want to teach her and by so doing quash her unique and surprisingly avant-garde subjectivity on literature? And, as if that wasn't enough, they both find that they need each other more than they dare possibly admit.
Perhaps best known as a film version, starring the excellent talents of both Julie Walters and Michael Caine, the play is a much more minimalist affair, and the set - the lecturer's office - remains constant throughout, and has only two cast members.... the lecturer (called Frank), and Susan (called Rita).
Directed by Jake Martin, the vast space of Romiley's Forum Theatre had been turned into a bijou and intimate theatre-in-the-round, seating just 80 audience members on two rows of seats around their performance arena. Martin here making things much more visceral for the audience, but not making things easy for himself. It was a brave decision, and in the main, one that worked well. Around the outside of the space, bookcases full of aging literature hid his many half-empty whisky bottles, whilst a large and cluttered desk for him contrasted against a small, simplistic and school-like desk for her. A shame that the two chairs used did not also mirror this imagery.
Martin set a good pace, and his work on the developing relationship between the two was excellently observed. Finding humour and pathos in equal measure. However, what didn't work as well was that he had set the two desks as far apart from each other as the space would allow, meaning that a vast and empty area of stage was omnipresent, which he felt needed to be filled, and so had them walking and pacing and using this central section even when the impetus or narrative seemed to require something a little more static. And as such when the play reached a cathartic moment, it was diminished by the constant movement.
Further, what I simply did not understand was the constant need to switch the two desks over to the opposite side of the circle for each scene. Not only was this very distracting it was also completely unnecessary as it added nothing to the play and did not afford the audience a different perspective. Furthermore, the actors failed to exit from the correct door from time to time too. This also had the effect of lessening the impact of the scenes as the long pause between them each time (alongside period music) was like watching a TV programme and not fast-forwarding the adverts!
Dawn Wrigley was Rita, and her vivacious and effusive personality was big but never over-the-top, always keeping her character on the right side of believable. It didn't really matter of course that her accent was not consistent, and strayed from Liverpool to all places between there and Manchester throughout; but her characterisation and her garrulous nature won me over. Scott Mitchell portrayed the lecturer Frank with a certain resignation, or perhaps that should be literary fatality. Perhaps he should have been a little older, and perhaps his hair should have been a little longer, but his characterisation was solid and secure throughout, providing us with the archetypal Eng Lit prof to be found in almost every higher education establishment even to this day! Mitchell's enunciation and projection however did need a little work, as at times - especially when he was not facing my direction - his voice was nothing more than a mumble and I missed word or words. Wrigley and Mitchell worked excellently together and I enjoyed watching their travails which were realistically and sympathetically portrayed.
A very brave and indeed entertaining production of an almost forgotten gem.
Reviewer - Matthew Dougall
on - 20.4.23
on - 20.4.23
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