Everyman Theatre

'Educating Rita' by Willy Russell

Super Clubnight* to be performed on Tuesday 20, Wednesday 21 and Thursday 22 April 2010. 

Everyman Clubroom @ Chapter Arts Centre

* SUPER CLUBNIGHT PERFORMANCES ARE THOROUGHLY REHEARSED, SCRIPT-HELD PROJECTS.  THEY ARE PERFORMED FOR MEMBERS, FAMILY AND FRIENDS. THIS IS NOT A FEE-PAYING PUBLIC PRODUCTION. HOWEVER, THE GIFT OF A BOTTLE OF SPANISH PLONK, 4 PACK OF GUINNESS OR A NICE SINGLE MALT WOULD NOT GO A MISS!!

Excerpt from the director's submission to the 2010 Play Selection Panel:

‘My aim for the production is similar that which Willy Russell recalls having when he penned the script in the late 1970s (quoted in an interview with the Liverpool Daily Post, 5 April 2002):

 “I knew I just wanted to put some joy into that place and write something for it.”

 I have a genuine and enduring love of this story, its dialogue and the two leads.     

The play is highly humorous, but is not a straight comedy.  There are no classic ‘gags’ and very little physical comedic action, with the exceptions of Rita struggling to open the door to Frank’s office in the opening scene and Frank falling down drunk from the rostrum – these are symbolic and are not played for laughs.  The humour is very natural – sarcasm is a wonderful trait of those who have experienced (or at least perceived) some hardship in life. With Rita I believe this is inherent, but Frank’s wit is fuelled by his borderline alcoholism and chronic self-pity. 

The central relationship between the two protagonists is incredibly true to life – people who think in a similar kind of way and have common values (or arguably those who have opposing views but mutual respect and admiration) can be drawn to and become very fond of each other at any age, without having a physically intimate relationship and without such a possibility being seriously broached. This is beautifully and truthfully played out here – as two counterpoints Rita and Frank complement each other superbly, though they are not always in perfect balance. We have a sense of affinity and empathy with both characters as their circumstances and personalities unfold.

Educating Rita is an intelligent and insightful piece of popular theatre, for all audiences.’ 

THE PLAY:

The play was written by an author whose early work was largely based on personal experience and ambition, and was scripted for production at Liverpool’s Everyman Theatre.  One of the enduring objectives of that particular theatre is to ‘create [a new type of] theatre that would appeal to a broader audience and produce work that was relevant to the people of Liverpool’.  

Whilst utterly achieving this aim Educating Rita was actually commissioned by the (slightly more high-brow) RSC in 1978, and premiered at the company’s Warehouse theatre in London in 1980, to much critical and popular acclaim.  The story provided one of Britain’s most recognisable actresses Julie Walters with her first screen role (opposite Michael Caine as Frank) after her original portrayal of Rita on the London stage. 

Despite (and in my view strengthened by) being littered with Liverpudlian and 1970/80s cultural references, Educating Rita still has universal and very real appeal to audiences anywhere.

Key to making this a successful production will be to fully develop the characters – their words, thoughts and mannerisms – from the page onto the stage.  There is no conventional ‘concept’ other than (I suppose) realism and authenticity – I want the audience to look at the set and actors and see them not as this but as Rita and Frank in their natural surroundings, as described by Russell in the stage directions with a little artistic licence applied here and there.

OUR CHARACTERS:

Rita 

When Rita (a desperately discontented young woman, wife and hairdresser) effectively breaks into Frank’s office in the opening scene, he has not seen or heard anything like her for some time, if ever.  Rita quickly and effortlessly runs rings around him. 

Rita’s standout quality is her instinctive quick wit – sometimes a slightly foolish wit, but nonetheless there is always something that rings true – she is naively astute.  Frank patiently allows / tries to get her to explain the things she means in a more coherent way.  Eventually, when she has become ‘educated’ she suppresses this natural intuition and replaces it with what other people have said or what literary critics might say.  Her own thoughts and opinions somehow become less important.  This is what truly dismays Frank.  Rita always coveted knowledge as a means of empowering herself but in seeking validation from others (a reliance on ‘informed confidence’), the newly-styled Susan is taking a step back not forward.  She once answered her own questions admirably (if not academically) enough, she later gleans her answers from elsewhere until realising the true meaning of having choice.

Frank  

Frank is the whisky weary lecturer who has begrudgingly agreed to tutor an Open University student – we are not entirely sure why, though suspect that in addition to the extra cash, it might be to provide him with an alibi for sneaking off to the pub. Frank is simply stunned when Rita barges in.

Despite having profited from being highly knowledgeable Frank has become deeply disillusioned with both his academic and personal life. His wife having left him apparently ‘for the sake of literature’, he now lives with his partner Julia, once one of his students but now a lecturer herself.  Frank is a rather changeable character with quite a volatile personality.  One minute he will humour and banter with Rita, the next he will tell her not to pry and remind her to focus on her studies, before proceeding to rubbish himself as a teacher (and later a poet) and question why on earth she wants to be educated.  The very fact that Frank is standing waiting (minus drink in hand) for Rita to arrive for their second meeting shows the profound effect she has on him – Act Two sees him becoming intensely dependent upon her, while she becomes increasingly independent of him.  In addition to his private woes, Frank has the personally-abhorrent task of teaching Rita to discipline her mind, when he knows that to do so will simply lead her to devalue her own unique intuition.  Perhaps the reason he can no longer abide academia is because he was once as creatively gifted as Rita, but has been stifled by what is expected. 

I will also be casting a silent ensemble, from which to draw the characters of Julia (Frank’s partner), Denny (Rita’s husband), Rita’s mum, Trish (Rita’s friend), students/party guests/diners at bistro 

Were held on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th February, with additional auditions and recalls on Sunday 21st.

The audition pieces were as follows:  

Part 1)  Each auditionee was be asked to read an individual piece:

For Rita 

Either Act 1 Scene 2 (‘Just normal; like all the other schools by us; ... ‘those who don’t want you to change’)

Or Act 1 Scene 6 (‘I’m alright with you here in this room ... And that’s why I’m staying’)

For Frank

Either Act 1 Scene 1 (‘Now where in the name of god ... When Did I need determination to get me into a pub?’)  

or Act 1 Scene 1 (‘I’ll make a bargain with you yes? ... There are other tutors – I’ll make all the necessary arrangements and no doubt the college will be in touch.’

Part 2)  And then (in pairs) auditionees were asked to read two extracts* from the following:

Act 1 Scene 1 (Introduction to the characters and their relationship)

Act 1 Scene 2  (Frank and Rita discuss Forster, and Frank’s marriage)

Act 1 Scene 4  (Rita hasn’t got her Peer Gynt essay)

Act 2 Scene 3  (Rita confronts Frank after he has been reported for drinking on the job)

Recall Pieces

Recalled in pairs, auditionees were asked to perform Act 1 Scenes 6 and 7 (Rita's mum in the pub and Rita leaving Denny before heading off to Summer School)  and Act Two Scene 4 (Where Frank has just discovered that Rita no longer works at the hairdressers and presents her with his own poetry to appraise).