Educating Rita at Theatre Royal

 

The Student becomes the Master

This most recent tour of Willy Russell’s timeless classic, Educating Rita, comes to a final close this week at Newcastle’s Theatre Royal, a fitting location for local lead Jessica Johnson’s graduation.

Since April 2017 when Jess played Rita at the Gala, Durham, she has taken the role of Rita to be very much her own.  Of course, the immortal genius of Russell’s writing creates a landscape in which actors have freedom to develop, but having seen this incarnation a number of times over the past 4 years, it is Johnsons’s own development that is just as impressive as the journey the titular Rita takes.  Always confident in the role, there was added depth and strength to last night’s performance borne from the brilliant on-stage chemistry and Jess’s commitment to her craft.

The story is well known and much loved; Rita wants to change her mundane life, breakaway from the cultural expectations of her family, peers, husband and feed her desire to learn and grow.  She embarks on an English Literature OU course and, paired with disillusioned (and often drunk) professor Frank (the incomparable Stephen Tompkinson), she discovers the classics, Shakespeare, poetry and critical thinking.  As much as Rita grows, Frank shrinks into his bottles of well hidden scotch, ruing his own lost passions and resenting the freedom and possibilities Rita now uncovers.  His descent into self-pity is akin to Victor Frankenstein’s love and then hatred for his monster – it is not the monster’s fault it became what the Dr created, nor is it Rita’s fault Frank gave her the freedom to think for herself, which he then struggles to accept.

As is to be expected with a Russell masterpiece, the wit and comedic observations are packed into this 2 hander, juxtaposed against the still current social constraints of ‘change is bad’ and ‘know your place’.  The great set (Franks study, filled with dusty books, student papers and the afore mentioned bottles of booze) is both claustrophobic to Frank and enlightening to Rita; what are his prison walls are her gates to freedom, and even his impending trip to Australia (due to an unfortunate, drunken incident with the Bursar) does little to break him from his captive mindset. 

It may be a long time before we again get to see such wonderful on-stage unity from 2 actors totally immersed in their art.  Don’t miss out on this final leg of the tour. 

Thank you Jessica and Stephen for a wonderful journey and who knows, perhaps Mr Russell could be tempted to write a follow up - Rita the Teacher anyone?

Educating Rita 2019

A magnetic performance, as fresh, witty and relevant today as it was 35 years ago.

Educating Rita, written by Willy Russell, is the tale of a working class hairdresser and her desire to break free from her everyday existence by taking an Open University course in English Literature.  Her tutor, Frank, is a long in the tooth, cantankerous alcoholic lecturer whose disdain for the modern approach to learning is only bettered by his hatred for an empty bottle of scotch.   Indeed, Frank only agrees to take on an Open University student in order to pay for his bottles of booze and yet, very quickly he sees in Rita a freshness, an unsullied mind and an unpretentiousness that challenges his jaded and tainted outlook on life.

As a play, this two hander is solely performed from the confines of Frank’s study, designed by Patrick Connellan – set with bookcases, piles and piles of volumes and copious bottles of ‘hidden’ scotch – where the simplest of props, the study door, the waste paper bin, the flower vases are all cleverly used to create a richness to the interaction between student and teacher. Brilliantly directed by Max Roberts, you aren’t so much drawn into this world as sucked headlong and enveloped so deep I could swear you could taste the dust and smell the must.

Playing Frank, Stephen Tompkinson, gives a masterful appreciation of the abject resolution that at some point in life “is this it?” seems to be the most oft used phrase, even if it is in self-denigration.  Challenged by Rita’s unbridled hunger to learn, he portrays both tutor and father figure with equal amounts of paternal care and longing to be young again.  Indeed, Tompkinson brings a lot more of a father figure to the role than merely a university lecturer.  The journey he takes us on is akin to a parent watching their offspring move from wide eyed 13 year old starting out on secondary education (and asking questions on everything) to the know-it-all 18 year old who sees their parent as merely a hindrance.  His frustrations towards the end (and the increased drinking that accompanied them) are not borne from Rita’s changing attitudes so much as Franks inability to accept his work was done.

Rita (or Susan as is her real name) is played by Jessica Johnson, local born, who gives a maestro performance.  Her machine gun delivery and the typical convoluted journeys that people love to take when trying to recount a simple event feel comforting familiar.  Her outwardly brash attitude which belies a delicate and vulnerable core is perfect and her journey through self awareness and realisation is magnetic.  In particular, her frustration with the constraints brought about by assumed societal positions is palpable and very relevant to today’s approach to class and culture. 

Fans of the film will not be disappointed by this latest stage production and the standing ovation from the packed first house was testament to the brilliance of the cast, a 5 star performance.

Blood Brothers 2018

Evergreen favourite Blood Brothers makes full use of the newly refurbished Hippodrome, bringing everyone to their feet for a rapturous and well deserved ovation and sets a new high standard for musical theatre.

I doubt there’s many in the land who have not at least heard of Willy Russell’s timeless classic tear jerker Blood Brothers, every tour draws record crowds of seasoned viewers and first timers, and, with each cast, the style and subtleties shift back and forth, but this current tour and the newly remastered soundtrack brings the whole show into the HD age.  Stunning sets, an immersive soundscape and innovative lighting breathe new life into an always vibrant show furthered enhanced by some brilliant additions and updating to the script and playlist.

Making full use of the Hippodrome’s enlarged stage and increased scenery capacity, the cast have space to grow and develop their characters in ways previous versions were restricted.  The new sets provide a solid feel to the streets of 70’s Liverpool and real air of believability, you can almost taste the smoke filled air and smell the grime.

The story is one of faith and fate – the Johnstone twins, separated soon after birth, one destined for a life of privilege and the other a life of struggle and toil, are oblivious to their fraternal links and yet despite (or because) of this, fate draws them together to for a childhood bond – Blood Brothers.  Sadly, as their youth being to slip away, the demand of each’s callings start to strain their once happy partnership resulting in the most horrific and heart-breaking climax to any story.  Overseen by the Narrator (if not THE Devil then certainly A devil) played with an omnipresent maleficence by the brilliant Mathew Craig, who manages to both snarl and smile in equal measures and always with a degree of absolute menace. 

The main focus for the 1st act is the relationship between the hard worn, yet happy mother of many Mrs Johnstone, and the lonely Mrs Lyons, for whom her considerable wealth cannot buy the one thing she craves most, a child.  Playing Mrs J for tonight’s show was the utterly mesmerising Sarah Jane Buckley.  Sarah Jane, who for this tour is normally in the shoes of Mrs Lyons, plays by far the very best Mrs Johnstone I’ve ever seen – her early innocence (despite the hardships of being a single mother of 5+) is always upbeat and optimistic and even when it became more world weary, she resists the temptation to introduce any cynicism into her character and instead just exudes maternal love for her whole brood.  As with anyone playing this role, she will be ultimately judged on the final number, performing the stand out classic “Tell me it’s not True” and it is here, at our journey’s end that she displays the raw emotion only normally seen at the site of real life tragedies.  What sets this performance apart from others gone before is that Sarah Jane doesn’t rely on simply building to a huge crescendo, she wrestles with trying to control her grief throughout, acting in true disbelief and even making to tuck her two little boys in as though they were just having a nap before the reality breaks and with it every eye in the theatre starts to water.

Of course, the story wouldn’t be anything without the twins – Eddie, the one handed to privilege whose childlike innocence and ability to stay aloof from the demands of forging his own way in life is played by Mark Hutchinson.  It is telling that Eddie, despite aging at the same rate and duration as his twin, seldom loses, or has to lose, this immaturity, being of wealth and the protection that brings.  Micky (Sean Jones) on the other hand, takes the viewer on his rollercoaster journey of a childhood of total abandon, through the awkwardness of adolescence and then into the downward spiral of disillusionment, depression and eventually destruction.  Sean has a remarkable ability to capture each stage so perfectly that were he to only depict one version of Micky it would be heralded as a masterpiece, yet here we are being treated to multiples.  His final portrayal of Micky, dependent on tranquilizers and doubting of his own sanity was so good it left me unable to shake a concern for his real well being.

The rest of the cast provide this new version with such a variety of additional characters that every group scene is packed with so much action it’s hard to keep up .  Aside from the street kids in the early story, they seamlessly morph into teachers (both private and state) bus drivers, policemen, bailiffs and delivery men – perhaps the funniest was the instance of the milkman suddenly becoming a gynaecologist – both responsible for deliveries.

The dynamic lighting and rescored soundscape thrust this production firmly into the HD era; perhaps this is needed more now than ever as the competition for audience means musical theatre is going head to head with digital providers such as Netflix, as well as the mega box office franchises a la Marvel Universe etc.  What is clear from watching last night, is that regardless of the Hollywood millions, there is no substitution for feeling the emotion of a live performance when it is delivered by truly amazing actors, a feeling that becomes almost tribal when you look around and see everyone else experiencing the very same feelings as you.

As always, watching Blood Brothers comes with a hanky warning but I think this one will leave you with such a rounded appreciation of the whole show that the tears of the ending will soon make way to smiles of joy on your way home.

Educating Rita @ Durham Gala

A magnetic performance, as fresh, witty and relevant today as it was 35 years ago.

Educating Rita, written by Willy Russel, is the tale of a working class hairdresser and her striving to break free from her everyday existence by taking an Open University course in English Literature.  Her tutor, Frank, is a long in the tooth, cantankerous alcoholic lecturer whose disdain for the modern approach to learning is only bettered by his hatred for an empty bottle of scotch.   Indeed, Frank only agrees to take on an Open University student in order to pay for his bottles of booze and yet, very quickly he sees in Rita a freshness, an unsullied mind and an unpretentiousness that challenges his jaded and tainted outlook on life.

As a play, this two hander is solely performed from the confines of Frank’s study – set with bookcases, piles and piles of volumes and copious bottles of ‘hidden’ scotch, yet even the simplest of props, the study door, the waste paper bin, the flower vases are all cleverly used to create a richness to the interaction between student and teacher. Brilliantly directed by Rebecca Frecknall, you aren’t so much drawn into this world as sucked headlong and enveloped so deep I could swear you could taste the dust and smell the must.

Playing Frank, Patrick Driver (Silent Witness, Call the Midwife) gives a masterful appreciation of the abject resolution that at some point in life “is this it?” seems to be the most oft used phrase, even if it is in self-denigration.  Challenged by Rita’s unbridled hunger to learn, he portrays both tutor and father figure with equal amounts of paternal care and longing to be young again.  Indeed, Driver brings a lot more of a father figure to the role than merely a university lecturer.  The journey he takes us on is akin to a parent watching their offspring move from wide eyed 13 year old starting out on secondary education (and asking questions on everything) to the know-it-all 18 year old who sees their parent as merely a hindrance.  His frustrations towards the end (and the increased drinking that accompanied them) were not borne from Rita’s changing attitudes so much as Franks inability to accept his work was done.

Rita (or Susan as is her real name) is played by Jessica Johnson, local born and boy have we got ourselves a star in the North East.  The original Rita was a Liverpudlian, broad scouse, but Jessica’s portrayal is all North East and it is testament to her delivery that the character is all the better for it.  The way Jessica uses her local style of talking, the machine gun delivery and the typical convoluted journeys that we love to take people on when trying to recount a simple event felt like being wrapped in a warm proggy mat.  Her outwardly brash attitude which belied a delicate and vulnerable core was there for all to see and so well balanced that her whole performance was magnetic. 

Huge kudos to the Gala, Durham for producing an amazing piece of theatre and a real treat – congratulations to Director Rebecca Frecknall and her team, and to the management and marketing at the Gala theatre for a fabulous evening and a perfect example of why the Gala Theatre has so much to offer.

Blood Brothers @ Darlington Civic

Maureen Nolan gives a powerful and emotional performance at Darlington Civic

Everyone knows the story of the Johnston twins, as identical as two new pins, and as such, almost everyone who comes to see Willy Russell's Blood Brothers does so with a degree of expectation which rivals most other shows.  Little has changed in the 29 years since the show first hit the stage; the songs, the set and the mood all remain instantly recognisable, and yet the brilliance of the writing and the complexity of the characters provide each production with an opportunity to add their own special take.

Set in Liverpool over 25 years it plots the course of the lives of twins who, having been separated at birth, remain fatefully linked through common loves, shared struggles and ultimately both unknowing of their own secret. To many, the underlying story is one of nature versus nurture, but it's far more complex than that; no two humans are identical, despite them being twins and as such it is emotion that separates the two boys more than miles or money.

Maureen Nolan plays the boys' mother, Mrs Johnston, and is simply perfect.  She brings a worldly-wise element which deepens the belief that she has lived through all she sings of. She has a brilliant maternal embrace for the part, blending the love only a mother could have with the strength to defy the odds and fight against the cruel hand of fate.  Maureen starts the show light on her feet, twinkle in her eye and a cheeky smile, yet, by the time of the final scene we have watched her grow old before our eyes, lose the joys of life and finally witness the spectre of death that has haunted her throughout.     I defy there to have ever been as powerful and emotive lead seen at Darlington Civic and this was borne out by the sight at the very end of the sell out audience rising as one to give one of the most rapturous and intense ovations.

Of course, the story is not just Mrs Johnston, the rest of the cast are brilliant in their delivery too.  Kristopher Harding as the narrator is the ever present shadow of conscience, skulking in the dark, sliding through scenes as the fore-mentioned spectre and constantly reminding us that this story is destined to be an unhappy one.  Sean Jones (Micky) and Joel Benedict (Eddie) have great chemistry and play off each other like brothers always do.  In particular, Sean's portrayal of Micky as he descends into depression and pill dependency is a huge shift from the care free, rebel with a smile Micky he plays earlier and demonstrates a wonderfully deep appreciation of the role and human nature.  Danielle Corlass, as Linda, undergoes perhaps the biggest shift in character; starting as a 7 year old tom boy, she morphs into a giggling adolescent, then a lovestruck teenager before becoming a newly wed and ultimately a heartbroken widow.  For all that Maureen Nolan takes centre stage as the linchpin of the story, Danielle is the perfect foil to remind the audience that this is not a one dimensional story about the boys.

If there are any who have yet to see Blood Brothers, this will be the best and most memorable show you will see this year, for those who have seen previous productions you owe it to yourselves to go and see this one and marvel at the best Mrs Johnston - just remember a large supply of tissues.