Willy Russell’s iconic play and comic masterpiece Educating Rita is being performed next week at the Maltings Arts Theatre in St Albans.

Full of witty one-liners and a firm favourite with theatre-goers, the play is also an insightful comment on institutional education, the nature of self-development and personal relationships.

The well-known story of a hairdresser from Liverpool who wants to better herself is being produced by Dee Bee Productions. Director, David Berryman is full of praise for the two actors taking on the roles,

“The play is an enormous challenge, but I’ve been blessed with the outstanding talents of local actors Lucy Crick and Simon Nicholas who are continually surprising me in rehearsals, revealing the range of their acting skills.”

He added: “There are so many facets to the play; it’s not just about a woman’s journey to become educated. There are elements of love story, a quest for the meaning of life and even the playwright’s view about the snobbery in education.”

Educating Rita is often included on school syllabuses and so the run includes two matinees at 3pm next Saturday, November 15, and Sunday, November 16 at 3pm with a special £7 concession rate for groups of 10+.

The other performances are at 8pm from Thursday, November 13, until Sunday, November 16, with tickets priced at £10/£8.

Tickets for all shows can be purchased from www.ticketsource.co.uk/ovo or call the box office on 0333 666 3366.