Educating Rita at Reading Rep Review
Image: Harry Elletson
Written by Eleanor V for Theatre and Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Content Warnings: This production contains strong language throughout, references to alcohol use, suicide and sexual abuse. The production also uses haze.
Educating Rita, written by Willy Russell, is a well-beloved comic play. Set in the office of university professor Frank (Julius D’Silva) who, due to funds needed for his drinking habit, begins tutoring Open University student Rita (Madelyn Smedley). Although unsure of each other at first, this pair form a close bond. But as dynamics start to shift, both become more unsure of each other and it’s unclear who is learning from who.
This iteration of the play is humorous throughout but scattered with serious moments which draw you in and add some suspense. Although I was aware of the plot overall, this was my first introduction to this work and I loved how everything came together to form a satisfying ending.
The play opens with Frank alone in his office, taking solace in a bottle of whisky. When, like a hurricane, Rita bursts through the door. She immediately tries to get the measure of Frank, and her swift dialogue perfectly pairs with his more reserved nature. The writing here is excellent as their discussions of literary criticism often drift into topics surrounding their private lives. These short segments, covering each of their weekly sessions, continue throughout as the audience remain in Frank’s office to watch on. Although the first act did feel a little lengthy, the dialogue was very engaging and every scene gave you more titbits about the characters which were often referred back to. With the second act, although the dynamic between Rita and Frank has changed, the comedy in the writing remains. But there were also some more tender and heartfelt moments, which I particularly enjoyed. Although Educating Rita was first staged in the 1980’s, the writing is still relatable and applicable to today.
As this show is a two-hander, it is very dialogue heavy for both actors. But this is particularly applicable to Rita, who has a number of extended monologues. Madelyn Smedley was superb in this role, never stumbling in her speech and adding a lot of physical comedy to elevate the text. Her more emotional moments were never overplayed. This brilliant performance was matched perfectly by Julius D’Silva as Frank. Again, the physically within his performance really added to the show and I really believed the character chemistry portrayed on stage.
Because the play remains set in a single room for its entirety the pacing, for me, occasionally felt a bit slow in the first act. But the set itself, designed by Cara Evans, does everything it needs to and is elevated by Adam Jefferys’ lighting design. I particularly enjoyed how the ceiling lights were used to covey a change of scene or the lighting used overall to show the time of day. I also appreciated how the actors navigated the space to make this dialogue heavy show a bit more animated.
Overall, Educating Rita is an engaging production with very strong performances and meaningful themes applicable to today. Although the single room setting occasionally slows the pacing, the actors’ chemistry and the witty dialogue kept me smiling from start to finish.
Educating Rita is playing at Reading Rep Theatre from the 26th February to the 21st March.
★★★★
