The play "Educating Rita" by Willy Russell gained great popularity especially during the early eighties. There has also been a movie made from it starring Julie Walters and the more famous Michael Caine. As so often the case, the movie was more elaborate with additional scenes, some of which were spoken of or retold by the actors in the play. The movie also included several actors while the play only featured two, Frank and Rita. After having read the play and seen the movie I am struck by a number of differences. Seemingly subtle, many small details have a great impact on how the story is being perceived. The movie offers much more background information on other characters and events that are important to the story.
I think showing the off-stage characters is the major difference of the movie compared to the play. There are a lot of off-stage characters in the play. In the play, Rita mentions the off-stage characters to Frank when they are talking, but they never really appear and take part in the conversations. In the movie, however, off-stage characters like Denny (Rita's husband), Trish and Rita's mom turn up and take part in Rita's conversations and her life actively. Everything Rita experiences with those characters is...
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The play "Educating Rita" by Willy Russell, two different people from seperate cultures coming together through new love and an old love shining through, literature.
Willy Russel has said that in writing educating Rita he was trying to create a love story. How successful has he been achieving his aim?
Educating Rita by willy russel is a play that brings two cultures, two people, two parts of society together through the love of literature whether it be hidden by a lack of education or even drowned by the bottle. Rita is part of a working class society but wishes for something greater and seeks this at an open university course where we meet the other main character, Frank, a professor who is matched as...