Franks search is the first clue into Frank’s lifestyle, the audience is first led to believe that Frank maybe searching for a book, and Willy Russell does this to produce shock for when the whisky bottle appears.
The conversation Frank has with his wife on the phone, is put in this play to quickly give the viewers a insight into Franks life, this includes a conversation about ratatouille and lamb, In the 1980’s meals such as ratatouille was very much a middle class dish, it was not a regularly available as it is today.
Rita’s entrance shows her willingness to learn and that something is stopping her, this is shown by her not being able to get through the door, also at this point Willy Russell has already told us that this is a women on a open university course, (and that Frank doesn’t have high expectations) the open university is a university which is open to those that don’t have the formal qualifications to gain entrance into a regular university.
Frank and Rita’s misunderstanding is also placed into the play by Willy Russell to show a deeper meaning of Rita not knowing who she is, and of the fact she doesn’t understand the language that Frank is using showing Rita’s vocabulary isn’t as diverse as Franks.
Rita’s view on the nude religious painting shows her inquisitive nature; it also shows how she is willing and wanting to learn. I believe this is put in the play to give the viewer an idea of how Rita is going to develop.
Frank also questions Rita’s character and suggests that she may smoke drugs when he asks her if it is tobacco she is going to smoke.
The confusion between poet’s shows how Frank and Rita’s classes are different Dylan Thomas the poet Frank mentions is known much more renown for the quality of his poems where Roger McGough isn’t as popular with the educated.
When Rita mentions Charlie’s angels, the class differences start to occur again she has to explain a television program to Frank. Watching a lot of television is generally seen to be a working class trait.
At the end of the scene, Rita telling Frank that she is going to cut his hair is a early sign that Rita is going to change Frank.
The above is what prepares the viewer / audience for what is to happen later in the story.
