40th-anniversary Educating Rita to open at cliffside Cornwall theatre

Production starring Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson will resume at Minack theatre after coronavirus halted UK tourA 40th anniversary production of Willy Russell’s play Educating Rita will be staged at the open air Minack theatre in south-west Cornwall this summer. The Minack was one of the first venues to resume live performances when the government granted permission for outdoor venues to admit socially distanced audiences last week.The play will star Stephen Tompkinson as disillusioned teacher Frank and Jessica Johnson as hairdresser Rita, his Open University student, and is directed by Max Roberts. The production had been on a UK tour that was cut short by the coronavirus pandemic in mid-March. Performances at the Minack, near Penzance, will run from 18-29 August. Producer David Pugh said he was excited to present the play, which is set in Frank’s university office, at the cliffside venue, which has the Atlantic Ocean as its backdrop. “I do worry about the rain but when I mentioned this to Willy Russell, he said ‘Don’t worry, I’ll just add a line. Rita can say: There’s a leak in your ceiling, Frank.’” Continue reading... https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jul/17/40th-anniversary-educating-rita-to-open-at-cliffside-cornwall-theatre #theatre #stage #culture #willy_russell #uk_news #cornwall