Explain how Willy Russell has made the opening scene dramatic and entertaining. In what way is the scene a good introduction to the play's main characters and themes?

These are a few of the many stage directions that make the play entertaining. Frank uses a lot of irony through out the scene. An example of this is "Flora? Flowers?" Another example is:

Rita: I wouldn't go an live in Formby. I hate that hole, don't you?

Frank: Yes

Rita: Where do you live?

Frank: Formby

These are a few examples of Frank's irony through out the play. This makes the play entertaining for the audience.

The language used in the first scene is very funny because they don't always pick up on each other's cultural references, but also sometimes it is as if they are speaking different languages. Rita speaks colloquially and has a working class accent. An example of this is, "I'll say somethin' like, 'Oh I'm really fucked', y'know, dead loud." Another example of this is when she talks about bread, "It's for people like you who eat pebble-dashed bread, y'know the bread with little bits init, just like pebble-dashing". Rita's lively and irreverent speech is a source of humour in the scene as is the interplay and repartee between her and Frank. Frank in contrast speaks in Standard English and does not seen to have any accent. An example of this is, "But the term beautiful covers the many feelings I have about that picture, including the feeling that yes it is erotic."

In the opening scene Willy Russell introduces us to the main characters. They are Frank and Rita who is also called Susan.

Frank is a middle class teacher who has a deadpan sort of humour. He is introduced by searching for his drink, which is hidden behind Dickens in the book, shelve. He then gets a phone call from his girlfriend on the phone who he argues with because she is trying to make him go straight home instead of going to the pub after meeting Rita. When he puts the phone down he say's to him self "Yes, that's it you just go pop off and put your head in the oven". This shows the sort of character Frank is. That is some one who only cares about him and know one else.

Rita is a completely different character. Rita's real name is Susan White nut she changed her first name to Rita because it is the authors name of Ruby Fruit Jungle, which is her favorite book. Rita is a bubbly character and is very talkative. Her occupation is a hairdresser. Rita what's to be educated and wants to become cultured. She feels that if she were educated she would be able to acquire a middle class culture Gradually throughout the play she becomes absorbed by culture and literature.

There are three main themes to the play. They are personal relationship, clash of cultures and education.

The play focuses on the way that Frank and Rita influence each other. At he star of the scene Rita is a nervous cocky young women who knew nothing about literature. This all changes later on in the play. Frank is for more different. He is disillusioned and cynical at the start. At the start of the scene you can tell that Franks relationship with Julia will fail because of the way he treats her.

The second theme that Willy Russell deals with is the clash of cultures. Rita comes from working class society, which she grows to despise later on in the play. Frank on the other hand inhabits a middle class academic world in which literature is seen to be important, even though he does not seem to care

The third theme is education. At the beginning of the scene Rita is struggling to open the door. This can be interpreted as how Rita is struggling to change her life; it also shows to the audience just how hard it is to change your life if you don't get a good education when you have the chance. Rita says she wants to know everything. This shows how much she what's to change her life.

The opening scene is a good introduction to the play and is dramatic and entertaining for an audience.