Educating Rita

ONE of the best - and most popular - recent productions of the Nonentities details the intriguing journey of a chirpy scouse hairdresser to slick literary critic and her relationship with her jaded tutor along the way. Educating Rita has returned to the Rose with mesmerising performances by Jo Widdowson as the knowledge-hungry Open University student and David Wakeman as the whisky-hungry English literature professor.

Adding to the healthy doses of humour from Rita's bluntness and naivety mixing with Frank's reawakening from his alcoholic torpor, the play's real strength lies in its candid portrayal of the class system. Rita shatters Frank's cosy - if polite - singing-round-the piano view of working class "culture" by saying people don't want crap jobs but meaning to their life.

She aspires to be educated but admits she feels like a "half-cast" - she's left behind her roots but feels she can't penetrate middle-class pretentiousness. Meanwhile Frank can hardly bring himself to teach her anything for fear it might displace the "valuable" insight she already has - rousing Rita's scorn and hatred for pity.

But Rita attains her dream of education and there is the heart-wrenching prospect - for the audience and Frank - she has outgrown the nest.

Widdowson and Wakeman do a magnificent script justice and do not disappoint theatre-goers who may have seen such luminaries as Michael Caine and Julie Walters tackle the same plot.

FA - Kidderminster Shuttle

Amateur dramatics doesn’t get much better than this - the intensely talented Nonentities gave a fabulous rendition of what is a wonderful play.  And it’s certainly not an easy act to follow. Who, as they entered the auditorium, could fail to have in mind the outstanding performances by Julie Walters and Michael Caine in the memorable screen version of this Willy Russell masterpiece.  Surely this must be an inferior product?

None of it. From her startling entry onto stage, Jo Widdowson’s characterisation of bored but feisty hairdresser Rita was captivating, surely defining author Willy Russell'’s character to a tee.  This two hander is demanding to say the least, especially as the two characters play centre stage for the duration, but Widdowson’s grit shone through in the timing and delivery of those multitude of funny words (all spoken in an unbroken Liverpudlian accent), as well as her mannerisms and dress.

And her tutor, drunk but loveable lecturer Frank, was authoritatively and convincingly played by other half of the show David Wakeman. Again, his whole personification of the colourful Frank was a credit to the group, while the skilful and precise interaction between the two characters was spellbinding.

There are very many extremely funny lines in Russell’s play, and these two handled the enormity of the occasion extremely well.  This was a play well worth witnessing, encouragingly played to a deservingly full house. Surely no-one will have been disappointed.

Andrew Powell - The Bromsgrove Standard

With a feisty, bravura performance, Jo Widowson takes Willy Russell’s modern classic by the scruff of its neck and brings out all the latent fizz.  This is a bold, brassy Rita in search of belated university education. Her maturing is achieved with passionate purpose.

David Wakeman, as her tutor, gives us the most gentle and likeable Frank I have seen.

Shirley Gaston’s attractively staged production continues until tomorrow.

JOHN SLIM