The Company's excellent production of Willy Russell's Educating Rita is performed by a cast of two in a single set, an academic office.
Vivaldi's Four Seasons introduces us to Frank, a world weary, self-loathing academic. His bookshelves are filled with Wordsworth and whisky.
In breezes Susan aka Rita (after her favourite author, Rita Mae Brown) with a bid to better herself by enrolling at Open University to study Literature.
Frank is struck by how different she is to his normal students. She describes a classical religious painting as erotic early pornography, for example.
He reluctantly takes her on and discovers he likes her uniqueness. She is endlessly enthusiastic about everything and has a thirst for learning - the complete opposite of his usual morose tutees.
Laura McDonnell's Rita is a sexy, voluptuous flirt. She delivers cracking one-liners with perfect comic timing. She smokes, she swears and is occasionally downright coarse but she is very witty. Her performance became more confident and animated as the play went on.
Craig Walton's thoroughly convincing Frank has a dry, cynical sense of humour but has a romantic soul within. His failure to become a recognised poet and self-doubt has led him to drink too much. They are chalk and cheese but their relationship blossoms.
They get to know each other personally as well as academically and gradually their roles are reversed as he needs her more than she needs him. First time directory Rob Joyce succeeds in delivering a thoroughly enjoyable production. Not to be missed.
Stephen Grigg
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Michael Caine's and Julie Walters' acting shoes are large ones to fill - so it was with trepidation I entered the Drama Studio to see this latest Company performance.
My worry was obviously not shared by the masses as it was a full house. From the off, the audience was treated to a very intimate and cleverly put together production. With no set changes the passing of time was represented by the lighting / costume changes.
Both actors worked hard together to bring their own interpretation of the relationship between the hard drinking lecturer and the working class Rita - and it's this which made up the heart of the show. The teacher-student relationship never quite crosses the line into romantic territory, but the play is full of strong and often bittersweet feeling, created by two actors destined for bigger things.
SS
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