Rita, Shirley and you too?
In the late 70s and early 80s, every housewife related to Willy Russell’s plays. This acclaimed writer is undisputedly a major icon of British theatre with an impressive playwriting career spanning 40 years. As a testament to the enduring popularity of Russell’s down-to-earth plays, the Trafalgar Studios have introduced a Willy Russell Season with the openings of Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine. Nothing can beat seeing these plays on the stage as they were intended. In Educating Rita, we are taken on a hairdresser’s journey of self-discovery through an Open University course in English Literature.
Her alcoholic tutor Dr Frank Bryant quickly recognises her potential and rare perspective on literature and life in general. Expect one-of-a-kind lines throughout Rita’s education, such as (while discussing Macbeth) “Wasn’t his wife a cow?”
Who hasn’t been tempted to do a Shirley Valentine and give up a dreary life with responsibilities for two weeks in the sun? Shirley has had enough of her neglectful husband, so she decides to take up a friend’s offer of some fun in the sun. After a holiday romance, Shirley finds her new lease of life so invigorating that she begins to question her situation at home and her future. Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine open on 26 July with tickets costing £15-£39.50. Contact the theatre for times and dates.
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