Preston star educates Rita

The production starts next Thursday and runs until October 12.

Director Chris Honer who says: “Educating Rita is a glorious comedy about the transforming power of culture.

“It seemed an excellent idea to revive the play, particularly at a time when the value of arts education itself appears to be disputed in some quarters.”

Straight-talking hairdresser Rita is determined to change her life. She wants to know ‘everything’ and thinks the Open University might just be the answer.

Worldweary, alcohol-fuelled lecturer Frank is a failed poet, a self-acknowledged ‘appalling teacher of appalling students’, totally unaware of the whirlwind that’s about to enter his world.

Taking the title role is 
Liverpool-born Gillian Kearney, well known to Manchester theatre audiences, while Preston-born Philip Bretherton (above) takes the role of Frank, returning to the 
Library for the first time since appearing in the company’s production of Alan 
Ayckbourn’s Joking Apart in March 1990 at the Forum Theatre in Wythenshawe, also directed by Chris Honer.

His other major theatre credits include George in Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf, but he is equally well-known as a familiar face on British TV – playing three different Corrie roles between 1977 and 2005.

Box office: 0843 208 6010 or www.thelowry.com.