OP Archive

Producing Company: The Menier Chocolate Factory and Theatre Royal Bath Production

Educating Rita

By Willy Russell Directed by Tamara Harvey

A gem of British theatre, Educating Rita is the unforgettable story of the relationship between a feisty Liverpudlian hairdresser and a jaded university professor. Rita has a passion for literature and is intent upon self-improvement. Frank's disillusionment with life has driven him to the bottle. As Rita grapples with the trials of education, Frank learns to believe in himself again.

Originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the show won the 1980 Society of West End Theatres award for Best Comedy and Best Play. The film version, which starred Julie Walters and Michael Caine, was Oscar-nominated and won three BAFTA awards.

Educating Rita stars Matthew Kelly and Claire Sweeney. Olivier Award-winner Matthew Kelly is one of the UK's best-loved actors, widely acclaimed for his performance in the television drama Cold Blood, as well as his recent stage roles, which include Waiting For Godot with Ian McKellen. Claire Sweeney has extensive credits from stage and screen including Chicago and Guys and Dolls.

Willy Russell is one of the UK's most successful playwrights. His repertoire includes Blood Brothers and Shirley Valentine.

A truly great play...a succession of blissful one-liners. Daily Telegraph
...a funny and thought provoking piece of theatre that re-ignites your appreciation of the arts. Whatsonstage

Venue: Main Stage  |  Category: Drama Comedy  |  Running Time: : 2hrs 15min





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Audio Description

Audio description is a service for people with visual impairments. It is a live verbal commentary delivered during a performance, capturing the key visual elements such as actions and movements, gestures and facial expressions, sets, props and costumes. The description is relayed to the audience member through a lightweight headset which is supplied by the venue.

Touch Tours

At some performances a touch tour will be available before a performance. This means that before the performance the describer will visit the set with the service users, describe elements of the design and encourage them to touch surfaces, costumes and props so that they can understand the geography and nuances of the performance. Please phone Box Office to book free tickets for the touch tours.

Captioning

Is a service for people with hearing impairments of all kinds. The captioner uses a special stage text software. They convert the spoken word into text, which is displayed on a caption unit situated on or next to the stage. As the words are spoken or sung the captioner sends the specially formatted script to the display unit.

As well as dialogue, the captions also include the name of the character who is speaking or singing and descriptions of any sound effects. The difference between this and surtitling (for performances in another language) is that it is essential that all of the audible elements of the performance are communicated and the aim is that it be done with the same pace and style as the performances given as part of the production as a whole.

Captioning is also a useful tools for audience members who speak or are learning English as a second language.

'The captions helped me to understand some of the accents and was good practice for my reading skills'
Italian audience member

Pre-Show Talk

A talk held roughly 1 hr before the performance (please check for exact times) in the Top room at Oxford Playhouse. Usually given by one or more members of the creative team involved in a production (Director, Writer, Designer) or by an expert in a related field or in the work of that company itself. The event is £2 to a ticket holder for the performance but it is best to book in advance as there are only 65 seats available by calling 01865 305305. Please note the Top Room is not accessible to wheelchair users.


Post-Show Talk

This is a chance for you to share your thoughts about a production and ask any questions that you may have. Moreover it is an opportunity for you to get more out of your visit from the playhouse, for free. We hold a post show talk for most of out week long shows, usually on a Wednesday.

The talk will be led by a member of the Oxford Playhouse Learning Team and some or all of the cast. Sometimes the director is also available. A few questions will be asked on stage and then it's your turn - all questions welcome.


BSL Signed Perfomance

This service is for Deaf or deafened people with at least an intermediate level of British Sign Language. During a BSL signed performance a trained performance signer will be placed somewhere on the stage to the left or right of the bulk of the action. The Signer will interpret the spoken work and essentially translate it into BSL.

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