AuthorWilly Russell
Willy Russell’s career charts an unusual and compelling path from working‑class Liverpool to international acclaim. Born in 1947, he left school at fifteen, working first as a women’s hairdresser while performing as a singer‑songwriter on the local folk circuit. Returning to education opened the door to writing, and by the early 1970s he was creating drama for the Edinburgh Fringe and the Liverpool Everyman, where his first professional theatre work was staged.
His breakthrough came with John, Paul, George, Ringo…and Bert, a hit musical that transferred to the West End and won major awards. Over the following decade he established himself as a versatile writer across stage and screen, producing plays such as One for the Road and Stags and Hens, as well as widely viewed television dramas including Our Day Out and One Summer. Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine cemented his reputation, becoming global successes on stage and later as feature films, earning Oscar nominations for their stars and for Russell’s screenplay.
Russell’s influence continued through the phenomenal success of Blood Brothers, which enjoyed a record‑breaking West End run and international productions. He later revisited Our Day Out as a musical, published the novel The Wrong Boy, and returned to music with his album Hoovering the Moon. His work remains widely performed, and the establishment of the Willy Russell Archive in 2013 reflects his enduring status as one of Britain’s most celebrated and frequently produced contemporary writers.
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Frank is a tutor of English in his fifties whose disillusioned outlook on life drives him to drink and bury himself in his books. Enter Rita, a forthright 26 year-old hairdresser who is eager to learn. After weeks of cajoling, Rita slowly wins over the very hesitant Frank with her innate insight and refusal to accept no for an answer. Their relationship as teacher and student blossoms, ultimately giving Frank a new sense of self and Rita the knowledge she so craves. The play became a hit film with Michael Caine and Julie Walters.
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This play will be staged at The Spring Arts and Heritage Centre (formerly Havant Arts Centre), East Street Havant - Bench Theatre's home since 1977.
| Rita | Jo Langfield |
| Frank | Tony Johnson |
Production Team
| Director | Jacquie Penrose |
| Producer | David Penrose |
| Stage Manager | Jackie Harrison |
| Assistant Stage Manager | Erin Offord |
| Lighting Design | Iain Banachowicz |
| Lighting Operator | Iain Banachowicz |
| Sound Design | Jacquie Penrose |
| Sound Operator | Elly Willats |
| Set Design | Jacquie Penrose |
| Set Model | David Penrose |
| Handbill Design | Tasmin Halford |
| Programme Editor | Derek Callam |
| Marketing | Fiona Callingham & Tasmin Halford |
| Photography | Caitlin Green |
| Front of House Manager | Ingrid Corrigan |
Director's Notes
As a director, I always enjoy the challenge of working with a very small cast, as it puts the emphasis firmly on the acting, and Educating Rita is one of the best two-handers there is. First performed in 1980, its themes of education and changing social circumstances are as fresh as ever, and its wit and humour bring it vividly to light.
Tony Johnson as Frank, and Jo Langfield as Rita, have both risen to the challenge magnificently, and even at this early stage, I think we can promise our audiences a thoughtful, funny and heart-warming evening of theatre. For me as an ex-teacher and first of my family to go to university, the challenge was irresistable.
Jacquie Penrose, Director
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