Educating Rita at The Lowry Review
Educating Rita
The Lowry Theatre
By Willy Russell
Directed by Chris Horner
The Library Theatre Company
26 September – 12 October 2013
Reviewed by Rebecca Singleton
On Thursday 26 September I was lucky enough to attend the opening night performance of Educating Rita at the Lowry Theatre in Salford, Manchester. The performance was set in the Quay Theatre which is one of the smaller rooms providing an intimate experience but still with enough audience to prove the atmosphere you would expect from a night at the theatre.
Educating Rita is a comedy about the transforming powers of returning to education in later life. Inspired by Willy Russell’s own experiences of returning to education, this multi-award-winning comedy returns to Manchester for the first time in over twenty years.
The play has only two characters, 29 year old Rita played by Gillian Kearney – The Liverpudlian hairdresser who is bored with her working class life and is striving to become something more by re-educating herself at the open university, “That’s why they come to the hairdressers – because they want to be changed. But if you wanna change y’ have to do it from the inside, don’t y?” and Frank played by Philip Bretherton – The World weary failed poet who has turned to alcohol to get through everyday life. The relationship that forms between the two is surprising, humorous and in places moving. Throughout the 140minute play I never once found my attention wondering which is a testament to the two actors.
Judith Crofts set forms Frank’s university office the only set used during the whole performance. It is exactly how you would expect a lecturer like Franks office to be. It is a disarray of books, paperwork, old beaten up leather chairs and hiding places for his bottles of whisky. The parquet floor with its gagged edge is not flush with the edge of the stage but juts out into the audience giving the feeling that you are in the room with them rather than sat in the audience.
I would recommend you go and see this for a thoroughly enjoyable night at the bargain price of £12.
Rating: 5/5 
For more information or to book tickets click here.
