Do you think Willy Russell portrays Rita's metamorphosis to good dramatic effect?

GCSE English

Do you think Willy Russell portrays Rita’s metamorphosis to good dramatic effect?

Willy Russell wrote “Educating Rita” in 1980. The play has many themes and ideas. Humour, character, setting and language. The play is about an English lecturer called Frank and his student-Rita. The play shows Rita’s metamorphosis from what she once was, to what she then becomes. Rita changes into a complex and completely different person to what she once was.

Willy Russell was born in Whiston, which is just outside Liverpool. Russell did not really care that much for school, and left when he was only 15 years of age. He then perused a career in hairdressing. It took him until he was in his twenties for him to realise he was in the wrong profession. And so he went back to school. This is all relevant to the play because this is the basic outline of the play- Willy Russell biased the play on his own life, Russell even set it in the same area “some where in the north.” This place is Liverpool; we also know this from Rita’s pronunciation. “y’ know what I mean”

The setting of the play is one very important part in Rita’s’ change.

There is only one setting in the whole play “A room on the first floor of a Victorian-built university in the north of England.” This is unusual. It draws you in personally, and the props don’t distract you in any way. The room belongs to Rita’s tutor Frank. The office looks, as you would expect an office to look. The walls are “lined” with books there are two desks in his office but they are both for him. When Rita first walks into Frank’s office and sees that this man, frank has to have two desks to put ...

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There is only one setting in the whole play “A room on the first floor of a Victorian-built university in the north of England.” This is unusual. It draws you in personally, and the props don’t distract you in any way. The room belongs to Rita’s tutor Frank. The office looks, as you would expect an office to look. The walls are “lined” with books there are two desks in his office but they are both for him. When Rita first walks into Frank’s office and sees that this man, frank has to have two desks to put all of his ‘education’ on, she wants to have part of his education! This may have been one of the reasons why she asks Frank to teach her “everything”. She wants to change her whole life!

The next theme is character. There are only two characters in the whole play. Frank and Rita, but during many convocations they both have, we learn about people in their lives even though we never met them. E.g. Rita’s boyfriend Denny, and Rita’s flatmate Trish.

Frank is a Middle class tutor and although he is who is well respected in this profession he often turns up drunk to his lectures. Rita is a working class girl who left school without any qualifications to become a hairdresser. At first they seem complete opposite but they have more in common than they realise.

When they first met they were total strangers and didn’t know anything about each other. When they first met Rita was searching for an education and asked Frank to be the man to give her one. Frank refused, as Rita didn’t really seem like the girl who would be dedicated enough to get an A-level in English Literature, when Rita arrived in Franks office every other word out of her mouth was a swear word “really fucked”. She then offers Frank a cigarette! Not something that is going to please your future tutor.

But Rita was very determined and would not take no for an answer. She needed to get an education, as she was very bored of her dead-end hairdressing job. But because Rita is so very determined, Frank gives her the place in the university. Once they got talking they both found they were interested in each other’s past and personal lives. They both compliment each other, this is a sign of flirting and you can tell they like each other. They both clicked within the first 10-15 minutes of meeting.

Towards the end of the play Rita’s personality changes immensely. She becomes a woman who does not kneed Frank anymore to become a the educated girl she wanted to be. Rita goes to summer school, and learns about many things. Rita seemed to come back a different person. When Frank tells Rita to read a poem by “William Blake” Rita could recite it from memory. Frank is surprised “ you know it!” Throughout the rest of Act Two scene one. We scene that Frank may be a little annoyed with Rita “so you’ve already done Blake.”

Humour is another important theme in the play. One of the only reasons the pair click is because they find each other amusing. If they did not find each other funny they would not get on. But sometimes Rita doesn’t understand the level at which franks humour is at.

“RITA what does assonance mean?

FRANK (half splurtting) what? (he gives a short laugh)

RITA don’t laugh at me.”

This can be funny because Rita is made out to be stupid. The audience are in on all of it. And can see that they are getting on very well, considering they have only met this once. The humour in the play helps the audience understand Rita’s changes and progressions because further on in the play Rita then understands Frank’s humour.

But this is also true for frank,

“RITA whats your name?

FRANK Frank.

RITA oh. Not after Frank Harris?

FRANK Not after anyone

RITA maybe y’ parents named you after the quality

FRANK what?

RITA I’m sorry-it was a joke.”

Another theme is the language used by both Rita and Frank. Rita uses a lot of slang. “y know, borin’ “ as she has a slight Liverpudlian accent. Frank talks in a ‘posh’ tone but without any noticeable accent. This shows just how different they are. Frank always talks as if he knows what he is talking about but sometimes he doesn’t, but he doesn’t.

Through the play Rita’s use of slang and use of swear words decreases, as she becomes more and more knowledgeable. And more and more like the girl she always dreamed of becoming.

The main reasons why Willy Russell shows Rita’s metamorphosis to good dramatic effect are because of four main themes, Setting, Character, Humour and Language. Without one of these themes the play would not be as successful.

The play is very lifelike because Willy Russell kept it so close to his own life. That you cannot help but feel that apart of you is inside the play. I do like the play when it is acted out with feeling. With all the props and staging, the characters really come alive.

October 2002

Jamie Cross