Made more famous by the film adaptation of the same name starring Michael Caine and giving Julie Walters her big break, Educating Rita is a powerful play. With its themes of social expectations, of self-development, of independence and freedom, of the failings of traditional education, and of the complexities of personal relationships, this play is just as relevant today as it was when it was written.

Young people today are still under pressure and expectations laid on them by modern broadcasting and the social media whirlpool can add to that burden. Many of today’s youngsters are driven into higher education rather than discouraged from having high expectations as Rita was, whilst others struggle to get apprenticeships or any work at all. In a world where everything is scrutinised and very little remains personal, relationships are everyone’s business and freedom is an illusion. In the play, Rita shows that escaping her pressures is a difficult and emotional journey but that it is achievable.

Following ORP’s successful production of Shirley Valentine last season, we bring this 1980s play to the stage in and for 2026! I hope that this production, in a contemporary rather than a period setting indicated with props and modern references, will highlight that everyone has the chance to make their own choices and find their own way.

This play is a comedy, but don’t be fooled by that. You are in for an emotional roller-coaster as Rita and Frank take us, in one evening, through a year of tumultuous tutorials, friendship and growth.

ELIZABETH RODEN - DIRECTOR
Not long after Willy Russell wrote Educating Rita, I was lucky enough to have an inspirational English teacher who presented my class with the play. “Something new,” she said, “something different.” At the same time, my godmother enrolled on an Open University course and opened the idea of higher education up for me. It’s no wonder it has such a place in my heart. When the Council at the Rep chose Rita to open the new season, I had to go for it.

I came to Oldbury Rep for the first time in 2023, and have worked on five incredible productions. I learned to operate the lights for Frankenstein: A Monster in Paris. On Amadeus, I worked on continuity and then, for the studio production of Lady Jane Grey, I became the sound operator – another new skill under my belt. Macbeth gave me the opportunity to work the lights live, which was a great experience and most recently I helped with lighting design for on The Changeling. Add this to my past experiences in wardrobe and props at other venues, I seem to have become a “Jane of all trades!”

Whilst this is my directorial debut at Oldbury Rep, and the first play I have directed, I am not really a novice. My previous directing experience of musical theatre productions, including Les Miserables, Phantom of the Opera and Jesus Christ Superstar to name a few, was very different from this piece and the cast here is much smaller! I was delighted to be offered the opportunity to direct this fantastic play and I hope audiences feel that we have done it justice.

WILLY RUSSELL - PLAYWRIGHT
Born in Whiston in 1947, Willy Russell is a lyricist, composer and novelist but is best known for his plays such as Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine and Blood Brothers. Leaving school at 15, he became a hairdresser and opened his own salon before he was 20. But he had drive and this was not enough for Russell so, like his eponymous heroine, Rita, he went back into education, and eventually become a teacher.

He began writing plays whilst still at college and drew attention from the professionals very quickly. His plays have gone on to win Olivier Awards and Tony nominations and many have been revived, adapted into films and studied in schools across the country. His dramas, like this play, tend to centre on working class characters and their lives, and present these with authenticity, alongside the humour which also characterises much of his work. Themes of education, self-discovery and transformation underpin his writing and, knowing that this comes from his own experiences, only makes it more real.