Educating Rita - How does Willy Russell present the changes in Rita's character during the play?
Educating Rita Q. How does Willy Russell present the changes in Rita's character during the play? For our GCSE coursework, we studied the play 'Educating Rita' which was written by Willy Russell. We were looking at how Rita changed in each area during the course of the play, and what Willy Russell wanted us to understand from watching or reading the play. Rita is a common 26-year-old woman, looking for an education in an Open University. She hasn't ever had an education in her life, and works as an everyday hairdresser. Rita thinks that she is not intelligent, and thinks that her life is a waste. She goes to an Open University, to get her education and this is where she meets Frank. Rita isn't happy with her life; she's not happy with the same old routine and the same old people, she wants to be happy. She thinks that if she gets an education she will be happy. In the book Willy Russell makes Frank an alcoholic, and Rita cannot understand why he abuses alcohol. For all she is concerned he has "everything" and for Frank to be on the drink it means he is unhappy, and she cant understand why Frank would be unhappy because she thinks he has everything. She thinks that Frank has 'choice' in what he does and her boyfriend, Denny, says that choice means 5 different types of beer. Which shows us how narrow minded he is. At the start of the play, Rita hasn't really got a
'Educating Rita' by Willy Russell.
'Educating Rita' by Willy Russell: Willy Russell's popular play 'Educating Rita' is set in the 1970s in the inner city of Liverpool. This cleverly written play, follows a young girl in her twenties, as she battles between the reality of her poor background, and her burning ambition of becoming educated. At the beginning of the play Rita is working as a hairdresser, and living in a council house with her boyfriend, factory worker Denny. She seems to be trapped in a place where she doesn't belong. Simply trying to fit in as she has done ever since her school life. Rita wants to break free, find her place in life. She's the one in so many who just won't accept the automatic life style, that she inherited from her parents. As the play unfolds we see Rita find her missing piece, an education. Additionally what becomes more interesting is seeing her teacher, Frank, wanting the opposite in life. To break free from having what Rita wants, he can't understand the need for, as I quote from one occasion, "pretentious, characterless and without style" literacy. We can see Frank, an educated lecturer, turn to drink as an escape root from the world he lives in. Although when he teaches Rita, this in itself is an escape for him, someone different to study and admire. For his life is filled with well educated, well off folk, whom Frank isn't fond of. But is this because he
How i would direct scenes 30 to 33 of Willy Russell's Shirley Valentine.
Shirley Valentine Willy Russell wrote in 1989. It features one main character, Shirley valentine, who is a middle-aged Liverpool housewife, who finds herself talking to the wall whilst she prepares her husbands chips and fish, wandering what happened to her life. She compares scenes in her current life with what she used to be like she's stagnated and in a rut. But when her best friend wins an all expenses-paid vacation to Greece for two, Shirley begins to see the world, and herself, in a different light. In this essay, I am going to show how I would direct scenes 30 to 33 of Shirley Valentine. In these scenes, Shirley meets up with Marjorie Majors who is Shirley's schoolmate but were very great enemies when they were in school because Shirley had a Liverpool Ian accent whilst Marjorie had a very posh and clear English accent. Firstly, I will look at their clothing. I think Shirley should wear a very motherly clothes not all that poor but the normal clothes every mother would wear. This shows that she is a typical middle-aged housewife. It also tells us something of her background, which was very working class. Marjorie should wear very well designed clothes, and wear some kind nice jewels. This reflects her background, which is a middle class and her current career which is a first class hooker. At the start of the scene, Shirley was waiting for a taxi in the rain and is
What does Rita gain from her education and what does she lose?
Jack Warder Educating Rita by Willy Russell What does Rita gain from her education and what does she lose? When the heroine of 'Educating Rita' begins her personal crusade to gain an education by pursuing an open university course in English Literature, although she realises it will be hard work, she does not have any idea what she will lose as well as gain when she achieves her goal. There are only two characters in the play, Rita, the student and Frank, her tutor although many other people are important to the play and are referred to frequently. All the action takes place in Frank's study, on the first floor of a typical university building in the north of England. Frank is a lecturer in English Literature, and needs the occasional bottle of whisky to help him cope with his students. He has never taken an Open University student before, and has taken Rita on, against his better judgement, to help pay for his drink. Rita is a totally, uneducated, working class hairdresser, with a Liverpool accent, who is both forthright and funny, although she has a great capacity for self-criticism, and a strong desire to acquire knowledge. She simply wants to know 'everything.' Although Frank has become quite smitten by Rita's fresh approach and original views, his reluctance to teach Rita is made worse by his cynicism and the fact he considers he is "actually an appalling tutor."
How Does Willy Russel Portray The Change in Rita in The Play Educating Rita
How Does Willy Russel Portray The Change in Rita in The Play "Educating Rita" 'Educating Rita' A play set in the 1980s we meet Rita a 26-year-old Hairdresser from Liverpool. Rita has a great desire to learn she feels she wants to know herself, as she has no idea who she is, she is currently working as a hairdresser but she knows she wants more but hides this desire with the buying of materialistic items. Rita's husband Denny very much wants a baby as at the age they are the social expectation is to have a had a baby and be married, but Rita wants to know herself first so hides her birth control pills and takes them secretly. Rita "wants a better way to live her life" this to her husband Denny means a new house or an open plan sitting room as you see him constructing in the play. However, a better way to live her life to Rita means an education a new 'High Brow' lifestyle not just a new house in Formby, as her husband suggests. Rita decides to go to a once a week tutorial at an open university in English literterture she tries to enter the office of her tutor but the door is stuck and is very hard to open this symbolises how hard it is to get into university for a working class woman like Rita, but Rita keeps trying symbolising her determination to learn. When Rita enters the office she meets Frank is an alcoholic that hates his job and students "You're a crazy mad piss
Educating Rita - Directing Act 1, Scene 7.
Educating Rita - Directing Act 1, Scene 7 In Act 1, Scene 7, Rita does not turn up at Frank's dinner party. She feels like a social misfit. Her mother's regret makes her determined to go on with her education. The general acting by the two characters will involve reading the script, as in the book, and by following any stage directions that are included in the script. The setting of the whole scene is in Frank's office. The costume will follow the guidelines of the book, i.e. how we think the characters would look like, and when we think the play was set in. Frank's costume will be a shirt, tie (maybe a bow-tie), trousers and braces. As you can see, we feel that Frank is old-fashioned. Rita's costume will be a powder blue and pink tracksuit with a couple of designer logos printed medium sized near the left shoulder and one on the right side of the upper leg. She will also be wearing large, round earrings. Props that maybe needed include the following: * A leather bound table with an elaborate lamp on the table, and 2 chairs either side (Frank's chair must be a swivel chair). * A bottle of whiskey on a side table (in the corner) with a few crystal glasses, which would be on a silver tray. * An ornate pen stand with a pen in it. * Coat/hat stand in the corner. * A bin beside Frank's desk. * Frank's framed qualifications on the wall. * Erotic, religious picture on
Examine how effectively Russell portrays the change in Rita.
Emma Powditch Examine how effectively Russell portrays the change in Rita "Educating Rita" is an amusing play, describing a young woman's journey of self-discovery propelled by discontent. The author's background encourages realism in his writing so much so that educating Rita could almost be an abstract autobiography of Willy Russell showing personal experience of prejudice and attitudes of class, this and Russell's effective portrayal of the change in Rita throughout may contribute to the plays popularity. The character Rita looks to education as a means of escape, a way of distancing herself from the working class background that smothers her, she needs to feel a sense of significance from her life. Her mother comments in a later scene: "There must be better songs to sing than this" This is a turning point for Rita as metaphorically it inspires Rita to continue. The initial Rita is brash and seems to exaggerate her appearance - in all she displays artificialness. This is connected with the superficial nature of changing her name to Rita to make her more in keeping with life as a student. She uses very evident dialect and colloquial terms associated with the lower classes. " 'Y' can tell he's a flora man." But as she proves this doesn't always reflect on intelligence although society seems to label people from less fortunate backgrounds, this is prejudice she
Educating Rita - Discuss the changes in Rita throughout this text, are these changes good or bad and how do they effect her relationship with Frank?
Discuss the changes in Rita throughout this text, are these changes good or bad and how do they effect her relationship with Frank? "Educating Rita" displays the major changes that occur in the main character, an initially narrow minded, outspoken and socially naïve Liverpudlian trapped by her working class life. Rita thinks an increase in intelligence and worldly knowledge will change this, and set her "free". She strives to change classes, and although is different from her working class peers, she still isn't ready to be accepted as middle class. She aims to reach her goal through an Open University course, yet naively thinks knowing what books to read and clothes to wear will allow her to immediately become accepted as part of her chosen social class. Change is a major part of the play, affecting Rita in both positive and negative ways. It shows how the influence of education helps to bring about these changes, and how eventually Rita is able to overcome and negative problems and settle on a happy balance. Rita is also molded by her tutor, Frank, and learns a great deal from him, whilst also teaching him in many ways. Rita's bright, bold, bubbly character is revealed in the very first scene, as the two characters are introduced. She makes a very dramatic entrance, bursting through the door, swearing, and immediately drawing all attention to her. She isn't really sure
How does Willy Russell present the relationship between Frank and Rita?
How does Willy Russell present the relationship between Frank and Rita? At the start of the play, Frank and Rita can be seen as opposites; Frank is a middle aged male academic, while Rita is a young, female hairdresser. Any relationship between the two seems unlikely, but they warm to each quickly and the audience realises that Frank and Rita are not quite as different to one another as first appearances show. They are both involved in unsatisfactory relationships and want more from life than it seems to offer. The main difference between the two is that, whereas Rita has recognised her unhappiness and is determined to change it through becoming educated, frank is a pessimist and tends to down his sorrow through drinking. Frank and Rita become good friends in the play because Rita needs Frank to teach her, and he needs the freshness and vitality that she brings to his life. Willey Russell presents Frank and Rita's relationship, and how it changes, in a variety of ways. At the start of the play when Frank and Rita meet, Rita is very outgoing and forward. The first thing Rita says to Frank is 'it's that stupid bleedin' handle on the door. You wanna get it fixed!' you wouldn't expect a new student to speak to her tutor like this the first time she ever met him. This also shows that Rita doesn't care what his first impressions of her are. She then gets into a deep conversation
Themes used in 'Blood Brothers'
Blood Brothers Essay Blood Brothers is a hugely popular play and musical written by the well-known author of Educating Rita, Willy Russell. It is fast moving and perceptive, entertaining and thought-provoking, funny yet ultimately tragic. It tells the tale of twin brothers who are born into a large working-class family and what happens when their mother decides to have one of them adopted. Blood Brothers looks at the differences and conflicts of their upbringings, their relationships with each other and with their real and adopted mothers. The play is set in Liverpool, 1962 and continues for around 20 years. Mrs Johnstone and her family live in a poor part of Liverpool in contrast Mr and Mrs Lyons lives a comfortable life in the more comfortable end of town. There are many themes used in 'Blood Brothers', the main ones being based on class and superstition. In the country, class effects how people are able to live their lives and the situations they are in. In 'Blood Brothers' Mrs Johnstone lives in a poor end of Liverpool, struggling to bring up eight children on her own and is forced to give one away to keep the others clothed and fed well enough, whereas Mrs Lyons, whom she works for, lives in a large house, very comfortably in a nice part of Liverpool, she wants children but is unable to have any, even though she is rich, unlike Mrs Johnstone. Love is a theme, shown