ED2012 4/5 Reviews ED2012 Theatre Reviews

Educating Rita (Matthew Kelly and Claire Sweeney)

By | Published on Friday 17 August 2012

Warm and funny, this production of Willy Russell’s much-loved play holds no real surprises, but that’s no bad thing. Given that the play features only two characters, Kelly and Sweeney carry all the production on their backs; luckily their performances are strong enough to bear the weight. Kelly is very good as Frank, all dishevelled academia and irascible charm. Once or twice, though, his performance became a little too broad, almost lapsing into farcical comedy. Sweeney as Rita was pitch-perfect, however. She brought an irrepressible, joyful enthusiasm to the role, making us empathise with her, but never patronizingly so. The chemistry between them was believable and vibrant; their pairing worked fantastically, lending the final scene a real poignancy.

Assembly George Square, 1-27 Aug (not 13), 5.40pm.
tw rating 4/5 | [Andrew Leask]

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