![]() ![]() Politics was omnipresent in everyday life yet neither character really make mention of it. This context is made apparent though the use of radio excerpts, but it does seem like a fairly clichéd depiction of The Troubles. By 1980 Belfast was engulfed in conflict and violence, with Hunger Strikes looming on the horizon. The use of political context, however, isn’t delivered as effectively. The colloquialisms and salty vernacular of Belfast are perfectly captured in the script and delivered excellently by the cast, ensuring that the audience are kept laughing from the opening scene. It’s an effective transition in terms of comedic effect. Assistant Director Oisín Kelly worked in conjunction with Willy Russel to ensure the script was realigned effectively. The play is relocated from Liverpool 1980 to Belfast 1980, a reimagining which Jimmy Fay, (Executive Producer at The Lyric), stated was important so that “the issues the play deals with are not blurred by location”. ![]() It’s easy for audiences to tire of just two characters over the course of a two hour play, but it’s a real testament to both actors that the audience remained fully invested until the very end. Both actors delivered the fast-paced and quick-witted dialogue with perfect comic timing, as well as playing the more emotionally exposing scenes with ease. Ford similarly represents Frank’s internal struggle with ease, and the divergence between his passion for romantic poetry and his alcohol-fuelled cynicism is tangible for the audience. Quinn depicts Rita as vulnerable and relatable, yet perfectly captures her character’s desire and determination to break free from her environment. Kerri Quinn’s Rita and Michael James Ford’s Frank play off one another beautifully. ![]() Together they embark on a journey of transition and personal development which ultimately irrevocably changes them both. Rita acts as the antitheses to the stuffy and humourless world of academia, and Frank, who finds her verve, quick wit and eagerness to learn beguiling, begins to love teaching again. Frank describes his own occupational abilities as “appalling but good enough for his appalling students”, and is forced to take up tutoring with the Open University to fund his alcoholism. He struggles with his own failings as a poet and tries to find meaning at the bottom of a whiskey bottle. Frank, despite living in the world of privileged academia that Rita longs to be part of, has found himself dissatisfied and isolated. Rita is besieged in a community where education is not a priority, and deviation from social strictures leads to ostracization. Rita and Frank are from opposite ends of the social spectrum, yet find solace in each other as they’re both victims of alienation. As Rita enrols in an English Literature course at the Open University, she and Frank are thrown together on an odyssey of self-discovery. A classic Pygmalion story, Educating Rita focuses entirely on the interactions between Frank, an erudite university professor and Rita, a disillusioned working-class hairdresser on a quest of self-improvement and discovery. ![]() Fortunately director Emma Jordan’s adaptation did not fail to entertain. Expectations and excitement were certainly high on an electrifying and completely sold-out opening night at The Lyric Theatre. Any production of Willy Russell’s Educating Rita suffers slightly from the weight of expectation, as most people have some familiarity with Lewis Gilbert’s Oscar nominated screen adaptation. ![]()
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