Willy Russell
Sheridan Smith to star as Shirley Valentine in the West End
Smith will take on the role of ‘theatre’s best-loved mum’ in Willy Russell’s play in London in February
Chris Wiegand
09, Dec, 2022 @10:08 AM
Cultural prescription: plays, films, books and more to help you start university
From Educating Rita to The Secret History, Guardian critics suggest some comfort viewing and listening to take on campus
Miriam Gillinson, Peter Bradshaw, Jenessa Williams, Justine Jordan and Adrian Searle
27, Sep, 2021 @2:43 PM
Bob Swash obituary
West End theatre producer behind a string of hits including Evita and Blood Brothers
Michael Coveney
26, Mar, 2021 @5:23 PM
Educating Rita review – sharp-edged take on 1980s nostalgia piece
Willy Russell’s play works well in a socially-distanced staging, and the questions it asks about the value of arts and education feel more pertinent than ever
Arifa Akbar
30, Oct, 2020 @11:34 AM
Educating Rita; The Comedy of Errors review – a breath of fresh air
An unflappable duo braved the elements in Willy Russell’s comedy drama, while Shakespeare’s crowd-pleaser cheered a lockdown-weary audience
Clare Brennan
30, Aug, 2020 @9:30 AM
40th-anniversary Educating Rita to open at cliffside Cornwall theatre
Production starring Stephen Tompkinson and Jessica Johnson will resume at Minack theatre after coronavirus halted UK tour
Chris Wiegand
17, Jul, 2020 @8:51 PM
Lewis Gilbert: master craftsman who went beyond Bond with a 'working class trilogy' | Peter Bradshaw
Gilbert, who has died aged 97, may have been best known for his three 007 films, but it’s the films he made about working class life that are his great achievement
Peter Bradshaw
28, Feb, 2018 @7:00 AM
Spy Who Loved Me director Lewis Gilbert dies aged 97
British filmmaker whose career spanned eight decades was best known for drecting three Bond films and making a major star of Michael Caine in Alfie
Andrew Pulver
27, Feb, 2018 @5:48 PM
Educating Rita review – Willy Russell's Pygmalion story still broadens the mind
Jessica Baglow is radiant as the gobby but intellectually insatiable hairdresser who spars with her boozy Open University lecturer
Alfred Hickling
24, Jan, 2017 @12:14 PM
Educating Rita review – Lashana Lynch is ‘dazzlingly fresh’
Despite Lenny Henry’s first-night nerves, this Rita should graduate with distinction
Kate Kellaway
28, Jun, 2015 @7:00 AM
Educating Rita review – Lenny Henry walks off stage but returns with conviction
Despite stumbling over a line, Henry ended the evening looking totally assured in a Willy Russell revival that proves Lashana Lynch’s star potential
Michael Billington
24, Jun, 2015 @8:04 AM
Julie Walters and Willy Russell: how we made Educating Rita
Julie Walters: ‘I was so terrified on opening night, I was taking Valium backstage. I was shocked when people laughed’
Interviews by Laura Barnett
17, Feb, 2015 @7:00 AM
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