Educating Rita 1

Introduction
‘Educating Rita’ is a play, written by Willy Russell focusing on the life of a twenty six year old woman called Susan White who undergoes an academic journey. Susan is married and currently working as a hairdresser. Susan does not wish to settle for family life as she is keen to pursue an education and therefore applies for an Open University course. Susan’s tutor, Dr Frank Bryant is an unsuccessful middle-aged academic with a drinking problem with little experience in teaching working-class students. The primary surrounding of the play is in the office of a university lecturer and explores the changes in Susan and Dr Frank’s lives following Susan’s entry at the University.
The play was first premiered at London in 1980 and directed by Mike Ockrent.
Analysis of Rita’s character
Rita is currently working as a hairdresser but is not happy in her current career so applies for University to see what the educating lifestyle has to offer.   In the opening scene, we can recognise that Rita is a bubbly character as she bursts through the doors swearing; immediately draws attention to herself.   It is evident that Rita is uncomfortable at first, unsure how to act in her new surroundings and therefore comes across in a loud manner.
Her initial conversation with her tutor, Dr Frank is very informal, for example not only does she ask Frank if she can smoke, but she also gets out her cigarettes before he has had a chance to answer. She even offers him one, this shows us she is trying to ease the tension between her and Frank and this tells us she is quite shy and nervous although she doesn’t seem it. At one point of the play Frank invites Rita to come to a dinner but Rita doesn’t turn up and the following day she tells Frank why, Rita says to Frank “I’m alright with you here in this room but when I saw those people you were with I couldn’t come in”. This tells us Rita lacks confidence at the beginning of the play which emphasises that she does not really fit...