"I wanted to make a play which engaged and was relevant to those who considered themselves uneducated, those whose daily language is not the language of the university or the theatre. I wanted to write a play which would attract, and be as valid for, the Ritas in the audience as well as the Franks."

William "Willy" Russell (born 23 August 1947) is a British dramatist, lyricist and composer. His best-known works are Educating Rita, Shirley Valentine, Blood Brothers and Our Day Out. Willy Russell, born and raised in a suburb of Liverpool, came from a working-class
background. Some of his experiences in early adulthood are reflected in his play Educating Rita. Russell left school after completing only one O-level in English Literature and went on to become a hairdresser. At age 20 he returned to school and became a teacher. Echoes of all of these experiences, his working-class upbringing, leaving school early, hairdressing and later becoming a teacher, can be seen in Educating Rita, a play he wrote to appeal to people from a wide range of backgrounds. In many of Russell’s plays a philosophy is put forward that anyone is capable of change whatever obstacles may be in their path.

• Interview with Willy Russell on the BBC radio programme Desert Island Discs

• Interview with Willy Russell in the Telegraph about the playwright's two greatest creations: Educating Rita and Shirley Valentine.