Educating Rita by Willy Russell

Educating Rita by Willy Russell

Educating Rita is a play written by Willy Russell. It is about a woman

called Rita who feels her life is not fulfilled so she goes to Frank

who works at an Open University to tutor her. Rita has a husband

called Denny. He is working class and has never been to university,

like Rita before she goes to she Frank. Frank on the other hand is a

lecturer of literature but does not have everything. He is unhappy at

home and is often drunk at his tutorials.

The audience's first impression of Frank is that he likes a drink (or

two) because in the first scene he is looking for his hidden bottle of

whisky. We know straight away that he is a heavy drunk. We only hear

Frank talking on the telephone with his partner, Julie. Frank doesn't

treat Julie with any respect. He has no intension of going home for

tea, he would much prefer to get drunk at the pub. After putting down

the phone Frank says " yes that's it you go and put your head in the

oven". This shows frank has no feelings for her.

Frank works in a university but also tutors for the Open University.

Franks wife has quite a few friends but frank doesn't because he is

always out at the pub. Frank uses clever words and talks in an

intellectual manner.

When Rita looks at the picture and says" that's a nice picture" frank

thinks it is a strange thing to notice because he has never really

noticed it. "Actually I don't think I've noticed it in about 10

years". Frank feels it is a very strange thing to talk about. He takes

his surroundings for granted, For example the window " I don't often

consider it actually" and jokes about throwing a student out of it.

I think Frank likes and respects Rita because he said, "Would you like

to borrow it" meaning the book. He also must have had respect for her

to let her come to his dinner party.