Julie Walters and Michael Caine
Educating Rita
McAulay Studio,
Wan Chai
Hong Kong
26th February, 2011
Rita - Kim Haslam
Frank - Adam Harris
THE HONG KONG CAST
Educating Rita was performed at the McAulay Studio in Wan Chai with Adam Harris as Frank, the consistently inebriated professor who is charged with Rita, a working class girl with big ideas. Rita, played by Kim Haslam, is a hairdresser who has signed up with The Open University to get herself an education. Frank sets about teaching literary criticism to someone with no previous knowledge and we witness the change in Rita as education starts to work.
CONVINCING DRUNKENESS
The performance of both actors, the only people on the stage during the two acts, was truly excellent from the very convincing drunkenness to the Liverpudlian accent to the dusty books on the shelves and the illusion of the window to outside.
HAIR CUT SIR?
Adam's usual hairstyle fitted the part of geriatric hippie exactly and not wanting to be rude I won't mention the beard. But I'll take a risk just in case it was grown for this part, I'm sure he won't mind if I suggest that clean shaven, shorter hair would indeed take ten years off him!
AM I RITA?
I can really relate to Rita. I think I am her. You see I am an Open University product but was much older than 26 before it dawned on me that getting a degree would open some doors. No one ever burnt my books or told me to stop though, everyone was extremely supportive and I couldn't have done it without the help of my family.
OPEN UNIVERSITY
But I wonder if an education is really the way forward these days, perhaps it's not? A degree is common place and in the UK equals a debt with no guarantee of a job. My own children are heading that way and as much as I want them to have the experience of being there and experiencing 'life' as opposed to an Open University course where you study at home being extremely self disciplined and swotty (well I was!) the chance of a job at the end seems remote in the present economic climate.
MASTERS DEGREE - IS IT WISE?
So with this in mind I have quite rashly signed up to do a Masters Degree with, you've guessed it, The Open University. I am into my third assignment and so far have found it excruciatingly boring mind numbingly dull and sleep inducing. My scores are only just acceptable and there are periods of time when I am forced to say no to invitations out because I have to do my reading or essay writing.
Why? Why? Why?
IF SHE CAN DO IT WHY CAN'T I?
Right now I am doubting my ability to get through this Open University course. Last night while watching Educating Rita I found myself wondering why it is so difficult for me, after all I have no alcoholic tutor or any pressure to have a baby, no one has ever burnt my assignments and I don't have a suicidal flatmate. Get a grip Lesley!
But wouldn't you just die without Mahler..?
Seriously, I'm not sure I'd be any good on an OU Masters: it's not so much the discipline or the not going out, but the fact that there are only a few occasions where you meet others doing the same course.
Keep it up, Lesley, even if it's just you and the sources (HP/Daddies/tomato/etc)
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Posted by: Richard Peters | February 28, 2011 at 03:00 PM