Educating Rita was the opening production of the Lyric's 2016 season, directed by Emma Jordan and starring Kerri Quinn and Michael James Ford.  

Willy Russell's 1980's Liverpool story about working class hairdresser Rita and her jaded tutor Frank, was relocated to 1980's Belfast for this production.  The play follows Rita who in a quest to become more educated,  meets Open University lecturer Frank.  The relationship between these two very different characters changes both of their lives distinctly.The popularity of this production led to the Lyric staging another run in January 2017 followed by an all-Ireland tour.