Educating Rita

This 45-year-old play will, I guess, never age, and remains as fresh as ever. It’s a two-hander set in the office of a university lecturer, and introduces us to two finely crafted characters we can identify with straight away.

The Bellerby Studio is a new venue for the Guildburys, and rather a nice one, providing an intimate atmosphere with a wide but shallow stage, plenty of room for Rita to strut about.

Rita, the perky Scouse hairdresser, has enrolled on an Open University Literature course, because she wants to know, as she puts it, ‘everything’. She is Frank’s first Open University student, and of course from the start Frank is not sure he hasn’t made a terrible mistake. Before Rita’s arrival, to get his spirits up, he downs a couple of, indeed, spirits which he unearths behind Charles Dickens on his bookshelf.

Rita, at the start, naturally knows absolutely nothing, and explains that she has changed her name to Rita, from Susan, as she is in awe of Rita Mae Brown, the author of a (fairly trashy) novel she loves, which she lends to Frank.

Rita absolutely adores Frank’s office, as do we, as once again Guildburys’ set designers produced the most stunning set, with so much to absorb, laden bookshelves, as it turns out of course, laden with concealed whisky bottles as well; a coat stand with the dual masks of drama hanging from it; a bust of the Bard; an old fashioned telephone; a jug of water; a ghetto blaster; a fine painting, and so on, no wonder she loved it!

There were many, sometimes fairly short scenes, sometimes introduced by music, sometimes not. Rita frequently appeared in different outfits, often in very high heels, though I noticed in a scene where she seemed somewhat deflated, she was wearing a pair of flat shoes and a fawn cardigan. Frank always wore the same brown suit.

Frank, the steady soul, one-time poet, now jaded lecturer, still can come alive as he discusses Chekov or EM Forster. He is astonished by, and gradually becomes enchanted by Rita’s freshness and frankness.

Rita has her personal issues, a husband who resents her doing the course, is furious she’s still taking the pill, eventually kicks her out. She is determined to find herself, come what may. Frank has his booze issues, and his dodgy partnership with Julia, who is constantly frustrated by his long nights in the pub. She has a PhD, he has never come across a whirlwind such as Rita.

As time progresses, Rita ‘gets it’, she gains in confidence, she eventually passes her exams. Frank feels he has outlasted his usefulness to her as she gradually ‘flees the nest’. Yet she returns to thank him for all he has done for her, just as he is being sent off to Australia for two years, ‘in disgrace’.

Rita grows, Frank stays the same. She ends up strong, he gives into his addiction. In fact of course, she was always the stronger, he the weaker. This is such a well-written play, which of course deserves some great performers to carry it off to its full advantage. Great comic timing, as well as great sensitivity is required, to bring out all the nuances of character here.

Director Gilly Fick found two such fine actors in Neil James as the reliable, kind of, Frank, and Samantha Remnant as the whacky, loveable Rita, oops, no Susan, as she later renames herself.

Remnant was able to show very clearly all the stages in Rita’s development, and we all fell in love with this brilliantly crafted character. Our sympathy also lay with Frank, as he became the rather sad cast off lecturer, especially when he poignantly asked her to go with him to Australia.

A fine production!

 

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