Willy Russell’s popular play Educating Rita follows a young, brash hairdresser who, much to the dismay of her husband, has recently discovered a passion for English literature and enrols with the Open University.  Her fresh, unschooled reaction to the classics challenges the attitudes of the university and her lecturer Frank who begins to question his own understanding of his work and himself.

Educating Rita was revived at the Menier Chocolate Factory earlier this year, where it was so successful that it secured a transfer to the Trafalgar Studio 1.

Leading lady Laura Dos Santos (Rita), starred in the BBC Radio 4 adaptation of Educating Rita which was broadcast late in 2009.

Tim Pigott-Smith, who plays Frank in Educating Rita, has recently been seen playing Ken Lay in the hugely successful production of Enron, giving a performance which earned him a Laurence Olivier Award nomination.

Educating Rita is presented in rep with another of Russell’s hit plays, Shirley Valentine.