The play opens with some light humour as it appears that Frank is looking for a book, the audience automatically assumes that frank is searching for a book because of the appearance of the setting and Frank. So the humour is created when he finds what he is looking for and pulls out a bottle of whiskey.
Next comes Rita’s bungled attempt to enter the room, fumbling with the door handle and cursing; it is a metaphor for the apparent barriers between Rita’s working class environment and the middle class, educated world. “The poor sod on the other side on the outside won’t be able to get in. An’ you won’t be able to get out”
The mismatch between Rita’s language and academic setting provides a great source of humour throughout the play. Rita’s accent and dialect clearly sets her apart and so does the constant swearing and joking. At times however, it is her lack of knowledge that marks the difference: “Do you know Yeats?” says Frank. “The wine lodge?” comes the reply.
Both characters are dissatisfied with their lives and each has a sense of being incomplete in different ways. Rita feels that she needs to “find herself” before she has a baby. She is obviously bright and quick-witted but missed out on education. Here, Russell’s use of humour becomes more pronounced as the two characters begin to feed off each other. Rita’s coarse and blunt humour is met by Frank’s dry wit and the two contrasting styles work well together.
Another source of humour in this scene is when Rita sees the religious painting that Frank has obviously not even noticed for years. She proceeds to bluntly comment on it: ‘look at them tits’. Russell uses shock humour. This is implemented because you would never say that to your university lecturer so the remark is unexpected and shocks the audience.
By Rita’s standards Frank would seem to have it all, a fulfilling job in a study surrounded by books and overlooking the University lawns. But he is unable to follow up his earlier success with writing poetry and sees his recent attempts as pathetic and lifeless rubbish. His escape is alcohol. When Rita bursts into his life she is a ‘breath of fresh air’. He quickly perceives that she will need him, in his role of tutor and mentor, to an extent that prioritizes over the demands of his other students.
‘Educating Rita’ deals with a wide range of contemporary issues such as class divides, the role of women in society and the importance of education. It also deals with narrower but no less important issues at the level of individual suffering and emotions. Frank hides his despair in alcohol and Rita seeks to escape from her own identity through education.
In that sense this is a very serious play with a lot to say and without humour it would be very dark and difficult for the audience to accept. In many ways the humour comes naturally out of the situation. Rita’s attempts to recreate herself have a natural element of absurdity as she tries to compete in the academic world without the right background or knowledge. She is bound to make mistakes and it is better that we, the audience laugh with her than at her. I thought the play dealt with some issues very well and was very enjoyable.
