PLAY Educating Rita by Willie Russell (1980)

Educating Rita by Willie Russell (1980)

Educating Rita is a play written by Willie Russell about a young, woman from Liverpool who wants to achieve something before it's too late, therefore she decides to take classes to take her exams to go to university with a professor, Frank. The play is based on the growing relationship between Rita and Frank and Rita's struggle with class and marriage. She is being forced to have a baby with her husband Lennie and desires to be of a higher social class, she is bored with her current life. 

Frank teachers her literature who is a middle aged man and an alcoholic who becomes fascinated by Rita and her enthusiasm. In act one Rita is very loud and confident. She uses inappropriate language and always speaks her mind, the contrast between Rita and Frank is phenomenal.Rita is smart but in a unique way. She wants to learn but is being kept down by her roots. She feels and knows she is missing out on an education and this is a way of escaping her past lifestyle where she was taught to obey her husband Denny and spend hour after hour cutting people’s hair.

As the play progresses, Rita continues to see Frank in order to pass her exams, however she is slightly changing her accent to sound more posh and heighten her social class, she makes new friends and changes her personality which Frank hates. Rita even goes back to her real name which is Susan, she used to change it to Rita in order to be eccentric and different. Frank is jealous that she got the life she wanted and he didn't. Rita goes home after her argument with Frank to find her roommate has tried to commit suicide which is a big wake up call for her, she sits her exams and passes.In the final scene Frank gives Rita a dress and she thanks him with a haircut.

Context

The character of Rita was based on the writer’s own life and experiences. They both grew up outside Liverpool with a poor education and a lack of qualifications. They both set off to change their lives.
Rita became a student while Willy Russell lived his dream of being a writer.

There is a set image of a working class woman and she doesn’t want that ‘mother at twenty with no schooling’ attitude to run in her family. She believes she has to change before it is too late. Denny pushes her into having children when she doesn't want to, when he finds out she is secretly on the pill he lashes out and burns all of her books. 

Quotes

"I told him I'd only have a baby when I have a choice"

"I've been realising for ages that I've been slightly out of step. I'm twenty-six. I should have a baby by now, everyone expects it."

"I can do things on me own now"

"I'm a half-caste, a freak"