The Lowry, Manchester – until Saturday 4th May 2019
Reviewed by Julie Noller
5*****
Educating Rita, written by famed Liverpudlian playwrite Willy Russell has come of age, first hitting stage and screen nearly 40 years ago; it’s fantastic to see this comedy reworked and brought back to the touring arena by David Pugh and Dafydd Rogers.
You could be forgiven for wondering if this tale of downtrodden working class heroine, seeking to better herself with the education that the system failed her would be dated and jaded but its far from that. It’s as gritty and punchy as ever having only the 2 characters on stage focuses our minds to how they develop, how they change themselves and their relationship over the course of a year.
They are hard drinking tutor Frank and young married hairdresser Rita. The acting is some of the best I’ve witnessed on stage, Stephen Tompkinson not only a highly convincing drunk, but disillusioned by the system he wanted to be nurtured in. A lecturer seeking escape from the pains in life, unable to write his poetry, a failure who drinks and only then discovering his inner voice returns. Jessica Johnson is Rita or in reality Susan who is placed under the care of Open University tutor Frank, she is equally seeking to escape and feels a failure for not knowing stuff and looks towards Frank to fill her head. She longs to sit and discuss books without using the term crap and slowly she discovers her inner voice but at what cost.
Stephen Tompkinson is commanding on stage, depressed and angry. He brings this tutor who many of us would view with contempt to life, there is more than a touch of humanity and I found myself leaning forward listening intently, jumping when he found his voice as I would at school. I equally found myself pitying him as I watched the relationship between pupil and teacher turn to that of a father and daughter. How we teach our children, long for them to grow to find their own minds and when they do, we have to watch sometimes from the sidelines hoping they find their way on this journey and that in turn they will teach us. Frank is dark at times and his days of dread turn to joy for the time when Rita seeks his help, you see how the relationship develops how Rita’s infectious enthusiasm for life and learning with how she sees a weakness by overusing her emotions he sees a strength but to become a true scholar must vanish and that in turn is sadness for what Frank sees as inevitable.
Jessica Johnson brings the infectious joy of learning and bundle of energy to life. The opening scene of her attempting to gain entrance to Franks office and her non stop nervous chatter resonates within me, we’ve all been there, an interview, the doctors surgery, school classrooms. How many of us have wondered like Rita if we are simply good enough? Jessica is warm, bright and cheery in the role, you immediately like her, drawn to her. She plays with the accent like someone who tries to develop their way in the world, it’s Scouse sometimes strong sometimes soft.
There’s many themes throughout Educating Rita for such a simple story line the characters are complex and deep. Obviously being written by Willy Russell we have class issues, shortcomings of the education system, relationship and self development not to mention change and ultimately freedom. It also deals with control brilliantly; firstly Rita is married, her husband seeking to start a family but for Rita life holds so much more but where does she start. Frank is her mentor, a listening ear albeit unwillingly at first, but slowly just that one simple thing allows Rita to grow in confidence and when her husband throws her out of the marital home – it’s a blessing in disguise for now Rita can soar, the world is her oyster. Slowly things change not only her mind and views but her dress sense.
The attention to detail by Set Designer Patrick Connellan and Costume Supervisor Sam Newland is near to perfection. As we near the end of the play we rejoice that Rita has found the key to her knowledge but then despair again as the realisation sinks in she has swapped the control her husband had over her for the control of the fellow students who she seeks approval from. Frank may be a drunk but he sees this clearly enough but just lacks the clarity of voice to tell Rita, like a father he must attempt to show her but allow her to find her feet and thankfully she does not before she finally gives Frank a well needed haircut as he prepares to leave for Australia. Rita finally acknowledging she is Susan no longer hiding behind a fake persona equally acknowledging she is doing what she is good at.
The only wondering you may have as you leave the theatre is what becomes of pupil and tutor but that’s for you to decide and I hope like me it’s a happy ending.