Educating Rita | Reading Rep Theatre

Educating Rita, one of the best known plays by Willy Russell, has been revived by Director Annie Kershaw for the Reading Rep Theatre, in a production that brings out the best in the play. Educating Rita manages to be just as entertaining, engaging and educational as ever with this new revival; starring two strong performers and a director who both understands and celebrates the core material. 

Educating Rita is a two hander play, featuring Rita (Madelyn Smedley), a 29-year-old hairdresser, and Dr Frank (Julius D'Silva), an older professor and poet. Rita who is hungry for knowledge and passionate in her pursuit of it, has recently been accepted into Open University, wherein she hopes to absorb knowledge and change fundamentally as a person. Frank, on the other hand, deals with the weariness of life with dusty bottles and poetry books; only tutoring Rita to earn a paycheck to sustain his drinking habits. The relationship between the two become the foundation of the play which becomes a fascinating series of conversations, observations and studies. 

Russell's writing has such a sharp wit and stinging cleverness that allows it to be translated so wonderfully on stage that his plays continue to be revived nearly every year across the UK, and are often studied in schools. Russell's writing allows for both characters to feel authentic and layered and make for fascinating character studies. The ever changing dynamic between them as Rita changes over the duration of the play, as well as how their personal lives affect their professional tutoring, creates a stimulating environment. Neither character are written to be immediately likeable, more presented as individuals in their fabulous and yet flawed true selves, yet audiences can't help but care for both characters. Russell's profound writing, whilst prominent in the characters and their arcs, is even more impressive in their discussions which range from great poets and playwrights such as Blake, Yeats, Chekhov and Shakespeare to discussing more philosophical questions such as human nature's ability to persevere and the meaning of life.

Both D'Silva and Smedley are formidable performers, undertaking the hefty task of Russell's wordy two hander play. D'Silva's performance as the weary and frustrated poet, whose cynical approach to life and dependency on drinking at the pub helps audiences understand the character more. D'Silva's ability to switch between concern and unrestrained anger is impressive and gives the audience whiplash with his powerful performance. Dr Frank, despite a few moments of questionable intentions, on the whole makes for an intriguing character that is initially guarded by a shroud of pretentiousness and extreme emotions. D'Silva's cold and sombre nature works in a brilliant tandem with the fire of Smedley's Rita.

Smedley comes in like a whirlwind, with a fiery boldness about her. Smedley's Rita lifts right off of the pages of Russell's writing, with a charming accent and undeniable magnetism that makes her ever so enticing to watch. Her naivety and passion as a young woman determined to learn it all, change herself and break free of the clutches of an uncultured class is so evident in her portrayal that the audiences are hanging onto her every decision. Smedley blooms under the spotlight, eliciting some sort of audience response after every other line. Her change in the second act is jarring, with a performance that feels so removed from the character in act one, a testament to Smedley's talent.

Mary Howland has worked on the show as a speech and dialect coach, and Smedley's working class slang and accent is a highlight of her performance, a real credit to both Howland and Smedley.

Cara Evans' set feels contained as the entirety of the play takes place in Frank's office. The office space feels realistic with loose, missing or even mouldy panelling on the ceiling, fluorescent light bulbs that slowly get brighter in their own time, a bookshelf with worn and cracked spines, and a pile of papers that are ruffled and messy. Adam Jeffery's lighting design lends itself well to the office space, using the missing panels on the ceiling to create stark moments using single spotlights. Most notably is the use of lighting from the windows, with the gentle yellow and orange glow, becoming a gorgeous addition to the set.

Holly Khan's sound design is subtle, working well to create an undertone of emotional discomfort and rising tensions. Evans, also the costume designer, has done an admirable job at really emphasising the many visual moments of silent storytelling of the two characters. Fittingly for the 80s, Rita's act one costumes of her putting on her best outfits in her attempt to look well educated, fashionable and confident is nicely contrasted with her effortlessness to look modern, independent and younger in the second act. 

The play is essentially an extended dialogue between both actors, only broken up into scenes that resume this same dialogue, in the same small office location. Yet Kershaw uses the space and set wisely to ensure that not only are audiences kept engaged but that the production is gripping. Kershaw has the actors moving about the space, not too quickly that it pulls focus from the dialogue, nor too slow that it feels unnecessarily dramatic, which is an unexpected but pleasant detailing. The characters tend to stray towards either end of the office, with Frank closer to his desk or his bookshelf and Rita hovering closer to the door and windows, forever looking out and wanting more. Kershaw's direction writes its own aiding physical language that provides the play with an additional layer of richness. The dialogues can feel a little heavy especially as it dives into literary discussion (particularly if audience members aren't familiar with the authors or their texts), yet the performances are still engaging. 

Educating Rita is a timeless play that feels right at home in the 21st Century, as education and appreciation for the arts, culture and self-growth grows ever more important as literacy is being lost to the digital world. The themes, although heavy and serious at times, are discussed with remarkable debates that allow audiences the change to broaden their horizons, all the whilst laughing heartily along.

Educating Rita is a play that celebrates growth, education and connection, and this productions brings this to the foreground with a production that is both touching and empowering.

Educating Rita is currently playing at the Reading Rep Theatre until 21st March - tickets and more information can be found here.

★★★★☆ (4*)

Gifted tickets in return for an honest review | Photography by Harry Elletson