How good was it to be back in a theatre? The answer - very.

Through all the doom and gloom this year theatre returning to The Rose in Kingston has been a bright spark.

Theatre is an industry that is in desperate need of some help so to see The Rose back in action and holding shows safely is a real joy.

They kicked their relaunch season off with 'Educating Rita' starring Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson.

Nub News was lucky enough to go down there and check it out.

Background

Educating Rita is written by legendary playwright Willy Russell (who also wrote Blood Brothers and Shirley Valentine) and follows the relationship of a 26-year-old Liverpudlian working class hairdresser (Jessica Johnson) and Frank (Stephen Tomkinson), a middle-aged university lecturer, during the course of an academic year.

The play originally debuted in 1980 and was shortly followed up by a film in 1983 starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine.

You can find out more in depth about the play and hear from its two stars HERE

This production celebrates the 40th anniversary and runs between October 28th and November 14th.

The play itself

The story is a real charming one and filled with laughs and real meaning.

There are just two characters throughout the entire 90 minute production, the titular Rita and her lecturer Frank and it easy to sympathise with both of them.

Rita is downtrodden working-class hairdresser, sick of being told what to do by her husband while Frank is an alcoholic academic whose life seems to be spiralling down hill.

The two characters meet at key points in each other's and their exchanges from the humorous to the dramatic are always engaging.

While the story itself is good the key to why this play works is the performances from the two leads.

Speaking to Stephen Tompkinson a few weeks ago it was clear how much he enjoyed working with his co-star and that was very clear to see here.

The two have great chemistry and are 100% believable in their roles - which is really all you can ask for.

The plight of Rita in particular will resonate with audiences now just as much now as it did in the 1980s.

COVID safety

This play can only happen if the venue is completely safe.

Personally I feel The Rose did their absolute best to make it as safe as possible.

Temperature checks on the door, staggered entry times, mask wearing enforced and socially distanced seating was all in place.

And despite the oddness of being in a half-empty theatre wearing masks I still enjoyed myself.

So if you can get yourself down to The Rose before the end of the year I would thoroughly recommend it.

You can buy tickets to the remaining Educating Rita shows HERE