Educating Rita

Having had a stressful drive to the theatre, worrying I wouldn’t get there on time, why do people who have to panic buy petrol have to block the main road into town?   It was nice to sink into the new seats in the refurbished auditorium. Thanks to an enforced Covid19 shutdown and two grants the Theatre is looking great and not had to suffer voluntary closures to do the work.

Sitting back to enjoy the set there were so many props to take in and admire, the set was very well dressed with numerous book cases and books that a literature tutor would have in his University Study, a traditional portable typewriter, a gramophone with a HMV record on the turntable, sets of encyclopedias, looking closely some hidden bottles of alcohol. Even a book entitled ‘Ancient Costumes’ which I really wanted to pick up and look at, the advantage of a small intimate theatre with no proscenium arch. This does show how carefully one needs to dress the set and this did look much as I imagine a Tutor’s study to look, busy, disheveled and a little tired looking, even down to its sticking door.

As much as this well dressed set deserved praise the actors costumes were most definitely in keeping with the characters that they were portraying. Rita was correctly dressed as a working-class hairdresser, every entrance featuring a change to costume, be it a change of top or a skirt. More to the point, as Rita’s character changed becoming more confident and stepping away from her working-class roots so did her style and wardrobe, her make-up and voice changing alongside this transformation. Frank’s suit was also suitable chosen for style and look, but also for comfort, whilst lounging back in his chair or sitting at his desk.

The two actors, Jo Sherry as Rita and Al Duncan as Frank made excellent portrayals of their respective characters. Having known Jo for some years I know that she was worried about playing a character (much) younger than herself but she needed have worried, from her first entrance she really was, and looked like, a 29-year-old. She bloused on to set as a very typical mouthy working-class girl with a good accent which she held on to throughout her performance. For both actors this is a demanding production, the need to be seen expressing and showing feeling and emotion. Emotions that continue to develop and grow throughout, and emotions that need to be recognised and seen and heard developed by the audience. This was portrayed with ease and style by both actors, I first saw this as a play around 16 - 17 years ago and I do not recall this development then.

For Al it’s not easy portraying an alcoholic and as he saw Rita’s need for him ebbing away so his alcoholism came to the fore, this was very subtlety shown and grew through his clever portrayal.

It is not possible to cast the acting crown to either actor, this was a great performance by both who were comfortable with each other on stage, interacted with each other and had a great rapport with each other. The way they used the most nuanced of looks at each other, the use of glasses by Frank, the carrying of their bodies as they moved on stage and faced each other so that we the audience were really looking through a wall at two people reacting to each other in a room. The rise and fall of their voices, the humour that was continually brought out in the dialogue was a joy to watch and listen to.

We really did want to know if Rita went to France for Christmas with Tiger and his pals or if she went off to Australia with Frank after having moved on from her ‘posh’ pal Trish.

The whole production was well directed and thought through, including not just the set design and dressing and costumes, but also the snippets of wireless and music used at scene changes, the lighting and the whole tempo of the show.

It might have been ‘Educating Rita’ but it could also have been ‘Educating the audience’ in how to recognise the best in Amateur Theatre.

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