Following the huge success of the run in August at the Minack Open Air Theatre, Cornwall, the acclaimed 40th anniversary production of Willy Russell’s EDUCATING RITA is coming back from Wednesday 28 October.
The production, directed by Max Roberts and starring Stephen Tompkinson as Frank and Jessica Johnson as Rita, was on a UK Tour when the Government closed theatres in March. The tour will reopen at the Rose Theatre, Kingston, running from 28 October to 14 November. This will be followed by a week at Shrewsbury Theatre Severn, with many more dates to be announced.
EDUCATING RITA tells the story of married hairdresser Rita, who enrols on an Open University course to expand her horizons, and her encounters with university tutor Frank. Frank is a frustrated poet, brilliant academic and dedicated drinker, who is less than enthusiastic about teaching Rita. However, Frank soon finds that his passion for literature is reignited by Rita, whose technical ability for the subject is limited by her lack of education, but whose enthusiasm Frank finds refreshing. The two soon realise how much they have to learn from each other.
Photo: Nobby Clark