EDUCATING RITA
- writeonarts
- Jun 12
- 2 min read
Writer: Willy Russell
Director: Owen Mooney
Starring: Abigail von Ahsen and Jared Wooldridge
Producer: Our Theatre Company
The Meteor, 11-13 June 2026
Willy Russell’s Educating Rita has long been on my bucket list of productions to see. With thanks to Owen Mooney of Our Theatre Company, I did not even have to leave Hamilton.
Educating Rita only requires two accomplished actors, one as Frank, an alcoholic University lecturer, and the other as Rita, an enthusiastic student who values education. Jared Wooldridge and Abigail Von Ahsen, both familiar faces on the local scene, took on the challenge. Challenge feels like an understatement. It is a mammoth play with an extraordinary amount of dialogue.
Serendipitously, both cast members have an uncanny relationship with their characters. In real life, Wooldridge is an English teacher, and Von Ahsen’s mother is from Liverpool in the period in which Educating Rita is set.
Wooldridge embodied the bumbling lecturer wonderfully. He has a knack for delivering lines in a nonchalant manner, and that technique suited the role of Frank perfectly. There was no faulting Von Ahsen’s accent work as she authentically conveyed Rita’s character arc from working class hairdresser to an educated woman finding her place in the world.
Our Theatre Company once again configured the Meteor’s black box as a traverse stage. This means that the audience are on both sides of the action, facing each other. The benefit of this layout is being able to look beyond the actors and see the wide smiles and delighted expressions of fellow attendees.
The entire play took place in Frank’s office. The well-executed set created an authentic looking lecturer’s office. Scene changes were denoted by a dimming of lights which was effective in its simplicity.
The powdering of Wooldridge’s hair unfortunately drew laughs as it dispersed continually under the lights, often in moments that were intended for somber reflection. It became a distraction from Wooldridge's otherwise strong portrayal of Frank.
Mooney has previously directed the play, and this time drew from the 2003 script. He gave his actors room to evolve naturally but with strict adherence to conveying the major themes of choice and change. The script is peppered with numerous laugh-out-loud lines, and he let those humorous moments breathe. Wooldridge and Von Ahsen were a well-matched pair, a sign of thoughtful casting.
My advice is to take a cushion and be prepared to settle in for a marathon of monologue and dialogue between the duo. Educating Rita is ideal for literature enthusiasts, especially at a tertiary level. Oh, there’s student pricing too, so go for it.
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