Educating Rita...

Last night Stu and I went to see Educating Rita, part of the Willy Russell season at the Trafalgar Studios 1.
The story, in case you are unaware, is of Rita, a young, brash hairdresser, who has recently discovered a passion for English literature and enrolled with the Open University. This is much to the dismay of her husband Denny. Her tutor Frank, a bit a soak, gets caught offguard by Rita's fresh reaction to the classics.
Laura Dos Santos was excellent as the ambitious Rita as was Tim Pigott-Smith as "for dismissal it would have to be nothing less than buggering the Bursar" Frank. They both had big shoes to fill as Julie Waters and Michael Caine between them won awards for the 1980s stage and screen versions. Ultimately the play is about choice and gaining the wherewithal to have one. There must be better songs to sing than this...