Hull Truck Theatre Company, Taj Atwal, Simon Armstrong

Rita is a twenty-something Liverpudlian hairdresser with a hunger for knowledge. Frank is her Open University tutor, a cynical failed poet who hides the whisky behind the Dickens. Captivated by her honest and enthusiastic approach to Chekhov, Eliot and Lawrence, Frank finds his love of teaching returning, until Rita’s newfound independence leads her away from him and into cultural limbo.

A British theatre classic, this hilarious comedy about the clash of two sections of society is as relevant today as when it was originally commissioned by the Royal Shakespeare Company in 1980. The play won the Society of West End Theatres award for Best Comedy and Best Play and the film version, starring Julie Walters and Michael Caine, was Oscar-nominated and won three BAFTAs.