Willy Russell’s celebrated play Educating Rita will be revived at Curve in Leicester from 26 September to 17 October, directed by Cara Nolan. The production highlights the enduring appeal of this comedy drama about working-class aspiration and education.

The Made at Curve production of Educating Rita opens at Curve theatre in Leicester late this September, running through mid-October. The play centres on Susan ‘Rita’ White, a woman eager to change her life who enrols in the Open University and forms an unlikely friendship with her dishevelled tutor, Frank.

Curve’s associate director Cara Nolan, known for her recent staging of Edward Albee’s Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? at the same venue, will direct the revival. The production features set and costume design by Michael Taylor, lighting by Katy Morison, and sound by Jack Baxter.

Casting is currently to be confirmed, with Richard Johnston responsible for casting alongside Pippa Ailion and Natalie Gallacher Casting. The theatre has announced accessible performances including captioned, British Sign Language interpreted, and audio-described shows.

Curve’s chief executive Chris Stafford and artistic director Nikolai Foster emphasised Educating Rita’s cultural significance, noting the play’s 40-year history and Willy Russell’s commitment to working-class narratives in British theatre. They described the production as “hilarious, life-affirming and an electrifying plea for equality.”

This revival continues Curve’s tradition of engaging with classic and socially resonant works, offering audiences a chance to revisit Russell’s epoch-defining play in a contemporary staging that honours its roots and ongoing relevance.