Educating Rita reprised her radio and Menier Chocolate Factory performance as Rita, and Frank was played by renowned actor Tim Pigott-Smith. Like the Willy Russell season at the Menier Chocolate Factory, the production ran in repertory alongside "Shirley Valentine" starring Meera Syal. A UK tour played in 2012, starring Claire Sweeney and Matthew Kelly as Rita and Frank respectively. A 35th anniversary production was staged at Liverpool Playhouse from 6 February to 7 March 2015, starring Leanne Best as Rita and Con O'Neill as Frank, directed by Gemma Bodinetz. The same year the Chichester Festival staged a production with Lenny Henry and
Shirley Jaffe (actress) Shirley Jaffe (actress) Shirley Jaffe is a British actress who returned to acting in 2002 after teaching drama for 20 years, and performing in murder mysteries and poetry recitals. Shirley trained at the Central School of Speech & Drama in 1954, and among other jobs was in the first British Theatre in the Round Company at Scarborough with Stephen Joseph and later Alan Ayckbourn, and in the last year of long running TV serial "Emergency Ward 10" as Nurse Angela Foster. Shirley's film work began in 1970 as a maid in Peter Sasdy's "Taste the Blood of Dracula". In 1971