Achieving Humor in Educating Rita by Willy Russell
Written by Willy Russell in 1985, "Educating Rita" is a comical interpretation of his own life as a young Liverpudlian hairdresser and his aspirations to become educated. The play is based on Rita, the hairdresser who wants a better life, and begins this adventure by enrolling in an Open University course. It is here she meets her tutor, Frank. You could say, the key to her dreams. If I were to direct this play, I would seek to achieve humour for an audience by exploring the different aspects of comedy; comedy of character, comedy of situation, comedy of misunderstanding and comedy of language.
There are many examples of comedy of character in this play, especially as
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Rita also uses a lot of 'working class' jokes that
Frank does not understand. Russell uses this as an opportunity to show that Rita isn't stupid, she's just not as smart academically.
A key aspect of comedy in this play is comedy of language. Russell uses it many times, such as to highlight Rita's background.
"Rita:
I do it to shock them sometimes. Y'know when I'm in the hairdressers - that's where I work - I'll say somethin' like, 'Oh, I'm really fucked', y'know, dead loud. It doesn't half cause a fuss.
Frank:
Yes - I'm sure"
In the above example, Russell shows that Rita was brought up to use crude language, and uses it to amuse herself when in the company of people of a higher class as she finds their reactions funny! Frank is shocked at Rita's choice of language and if I was directing this piece, Frank would struggle to reply. The audience would find it shocking as you wouldn't usually swear in an interview situation where you want to make a good impression.
The use of language as comedy in this play usually involves swearing.
Another example is when Frank is drunk and his language deteriorates dramatically. "Sod them - no, fuck them!" This shows how similar Frank and Rita can be no matter how well educated of high class Frank is. In order to maximise humour, Frank would be excessive and over the top to show the
Comment on my choice of content and what it shows about frank and how he changes over the play
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Educating Rita is the tale of one working class women 's struggle to find an escape to a boring, repetitive life and to find new things to conquer. To acheive this she begins university on a literature course despite the discouragement from family and baby-obsessed husband Denny. The play features only two characters, Rita and Frank. Frank- a middle class, well-educated, eloquent professor and Rita, an abrupt, crude excuse for a lady with no regard for or more precise, no knowing of social nouce. Throughout the play Rita 's character must reach two social extremities before she can learn to be true to herself. Arriving in Frank 's office loud and sarcastic
Educating Rita tells a story of a 26-year-old married hairdresser, Rita, who decided to get education by taking a course in English literature from the Open University. Through the development of the relationship between Rita and her alcoholic and cynical tutor, Frank, this story brings up many concepts in adult development and education. After watching the movie, I have a further understanding of the concepts of changes, motivation to learn, freedom, and stability.
have taken place in Rita’s life since we last saw her, in the play we
The Effect of Summer School on Rita in Educating Rita by Willy Russell 'Of course; you don't do Blake without doing innocence and experience, do y?' When Frank explains to Rita that after summer school they will study William Blake, Rita says that she has already studied Blake and implies in such a way that she almost disgraces Frank. Before summer school Rita has only been taught Frank and has only learnt his ideas, when she gains her own confidence she then challenges Frank on his views to do with poetry by telling him about William Blake. This confidence reflects the effect which summer school ultimately had upon Rita. Willy Russell was born in Whiston, near Liverpool, England, in 1947.