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PRODUCTION: Educating Rita (Comedy Drama) PRODUCTION DATE: April 2000 DIRECTED BY: Kenneth Guest & Jo White STAGED: The Burgess Hill Theatre. SYNOPSIS: Rita a twenty six-year-old hairdresser, signs up for an Open University course because she is eager to learn and discover what the educated life style has to offer. Dr Frank Bryant is an unsuccessful middle-aged academic with a drinking problem who has no experience in teaching working-class students, but who takes on the role as her tutor to pay for his drink. Eventually, Rita's desire to become educated leads to her being shunned by the working class and eventually she becomes accepted by the erudite classes, but as her personality changes, she is certainly no longer the humble woman that originally walked into Franks office and he starts to resent her pompous and arrogant attitude, leading to a breakdown in their relationship. PLAYWRIGHT: Willy Russell BHTC NOTES: The annual Mid Sussex Newspaper Awards recognised Pippa Jones as best actress and Geoff Twyman for his set design, as detailed below.
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