Educating Rita
Par Willy Russell
Adaptation par Marcia Kash
La pièce est un conte humoristique portant sur l’attirance des contraires et l’inversion des rôles. Lorsque Susan (qui se fait appeler Rita), une fille libre d’esprit de la classe ouvrière de Liverpool et Frank, un professeur alcoolique d’âge moyen, se rencontrent pendant un semestre universitaire, ils ont un effet immédiat et profond l’un sur l’autre. Alors que Frank commence à réexaminer son existence insatisfaite, Susan, libérée par son éducation, s’immerge dans une nouvelle culture bohémienne. Des sujets tels que les classes sociales, l’éducation et la nature de l’épanouissement personnel sont abordés dans cette pièce aussi intelligente qu’amusante.
Educating Rita is a comic tale of opposites attracting and roles reversing. Susan (calling herself Rita), a free-spirited, working-class girl from Liverpool and Frank, and a middle-aged, alcoholic professor, meet over the course of a university semester. The two have an immediate and profound effect on one another. Frank begins to reexamine his unfulfilled existence while Susan, liberated by her learning, becomes immersed in a new bohemian culture. Themes of class, education and the nature of self-development mix in this smart, funny play.
The Leanor and Alvin Segal Theatre
At Centre Segal des Arts de la scène
5170 Cote St. Catherine Rd
Billetterie - Box Office: (514) 739-7944
by Laura Flynn
Currently playing at the Segal Centre, Educating Rita will prove for a great night’s entertainment. Reaching its 30th anniversary in production, Educating Rita is a reflection on social statuses through the Pygmalion theme. Willy Russell’s witty and sharp script can still bare relevance today, and is guaranteed to please a certain sector of the theatre going public. If you are going to the theatre expecting a high risk, groundbreaking piece, you may be better to look elsewhere. This production fits a different theatrical bracket. It delivers excellently a script that has already been well received in popular culture. The 1983 film adaptation of the play is a sign of this.
Under the direction of Marcia Kash, this adaptation of the play is highly polished on all fronts. The attention to detail to Willy Russell’s script must be praised. It seems that no expense has been spared on production costs. Ric Reid and Carly Street are well cast in the roles of Frank, a university lecturer, and of Rita, his Open University student. Their relationship is captivating, and they maintain their endearing character nuances throughout. Set entirely in Frank’s university office, the stage design is rich in detail. The lighting and musical interludes work well to ensure smooth transitions from act to act. There are certain contemporary touches to the script such as the choice in Rita’s clothing. It is possible to see her personal growth process in her change in style alone. The reference to Austin Powers may have been left out, as it seems in itself already dated. Other than that, there seems to be few changes to the script. The piece keeps the original setting and cultural references of England. One may argue the case for adapting it further to a Canadian setting, and this would be a reasonable argument, but all in all, Willy Russell’s original script is universal enough to be read by an audience anywhere and Kash’s production proves this.