The Forsyth Review: Educating Rita – Superb Acting, Perfect Set

I was a bit worried about going to see Educating Rita at the Cameco Capitol Arts Centre. The movie is one of my favourites of all time – I have my own copy - and Michael Caine and Julie Walters are absolutely perfect in the roles. They both earned Oscar nominations – Best Actor and Best Actress – in 1983 for their outstanding performances in his extremely funny, charming, bittersweet comedy. I simply could not imagine anyone else playing them. Well now I can. Terry Belleville as Frank and Karen Sweet as Rita would likely get their own Oscar nominations if they were to translate their performances to film.
Educating Rita is about Frank, a cynical professor who drinks far too much whisky, and Rita, a naïve hairdresser married to a man who wants her to stop taking the pill and have babies. But Rita, who pretends to her husband that she has stopped the pill, has a wonderful and almost desperate thirst for knowledge. She signs up with the Open University and gets Frank, of all people, to introduce her to culture. Frank, whose wife has left him and he now lives with an ex student, soon discovers that Rita has a lot more common sense that the so-called educated class within which he moves. He begins to fall in love with Rita for her zest for life, her wonderful, almost childlike qualities and her blossoming intelligence. But Rita’s life changes as a result of her education and the two very different worlds of Frank and Rita collide. But mercifully they merge, to produce a wonderfully entertaining comedy, the modern day Pygmalion.
Educating Rita was written by Willy Russell who also wrote the magnificent Shirley Valentine. He was born in Liverpool in 1947. He became a hairdresser on leaving school, and then undertook a variety of jobs, also writing songs that were performed in local folk clubs. He also wrote songs and sketches for local radio programs. At 20 years of age, he returned to college and became a teacher after which he began to become interested in writing drama. His first play, Keep your Eyes Down, was produced in 1971, and he became well known after his musical about the Beatles, John, Paul, George, Ringo … and Bert, ran for eight weeks at Liverpool Everyman Theatre. It was transferred to the West End and won the Evening Standard and London Theatre Critic Award for best musical in 1974. He went on to bigger and better things, including Educating Rita, a two-person play set entirely in Frank’s office.
The version at the Capitol Theatre is too good to miss. The acting is superb, the set is perfect and you will have a truly wonderful time. It runs until June 14th and a call to the Capitol theatre Box Office will give you all the details: 905.885.1071.
Selena Forsyth