Madelyn Smedley and Julius D’Silva Join EDUCATING RITA at Reading Rep

Willy Russell's iconic play Educating Rita will grace the stage of Reading Rep Theatre for the first time under the direction of the award-winning Annie Kershaw, who returns following her 2025 production of The Maids. Performances run 16- 18 February.

Madelyn Smedley, who shot to fame on the BBC hit reality show The Traitors, takes on the role of Rita alongside stage and screen actor Julius D'Silva as Frank. This contemporary classic continues to ask pertinent questions about the value of arts, education and self-discovery. In a culture where perception and affirmation are always at our fingertips, Educating Rita resonates as loudly now as it did when it was first written. This production runs at Reading Rep Theatre from 26 February to 21 March.

Director Annie Kershaw said; “This play is life-affirming and brilliantly funny, but it also raises interesting provocations about the choices we make in life and how class and gender affect them. It really does have all the elements. I'm excited to see what audiences make of it.”

Making her Reading Rep Theatre debut, Madelyn Smedley is a dynamic British actor whose work spans television, film, and stage. She has steadily built a reputation for her versatility and emotional depth across a range of roles.  In 2022, Madelyn gained national attention as a contestant on BBC's hit reality series The Traitors, where she made it to the final six, showcasing her resilience and strategic acumen.  Her television credits include memorable appearances in EastEnders (as Rita), Casualty (as Jasmine Madbury), Hollyoaks (as Faye Fuller), Big Boys, Call the Midwife, and The Stand Up Sketch Show. She also starred in the short film Roy, directed by Oscar winners Tom Berkeley and Ross White. Her stage work includes roles in A Midsummer Night's Dream, Mysterious Maud, and Bitter, demonstrating her range from classical to contemporary theatre. She trained at Guildford School of Acting and with the National Youth Theatre. She will next be seen on screen in Series 2 of the comedy series Piglets. 

Madelyn said of taking on the role of Rita, “My mum said to lead with empathy, drive and ambition which Rita has in abundance. What we can all relate to is the want for a better way of living life. Self-belief and Rita's desire to learn means anything is possible. I love that. Rita's background does not define her potential. If anything it spurs her on.”

Fresh from his role as R.F Simpson in the recent smash-hit Singin' In The Rain at the Royal Exchange Theatre, Julius D'Silva will make his Reading Rep Theatre debut as Frank. His other Theatre credits include: Farm Hall (Theatre Royal Haymarket, West End/Uk Tour); Churchill In Moscow (Orange Tree Theatre, Richmond); & Juliet (Shaftesbury Theatre/Regent Theatre, Melbourne); What's New Pussycat? (Birmingham Rep); The Producers (Manchester Royal Exchange); The Cherry Orchard (Bristol Old Vic/Manchester Royal Exchange); Strictly Ballroom (West Yorkshire Playhouse/Toronto); Made In Dagenham (Adelphi Theatre); Anne Boleyn, Macbeth (Shakespeare's Globe/Ett/Uk Tour); Oliver! (Theatre Royal Drury Lane). RSC credits: Henry IV Parts 1 & 2, Henry V, Henry VI Parts 1-3, Richard III (Histories Ensemble, Olivier Award Best Company Performance); Great Expectations; The Spanish Golden Age Season.

Television credits include: Bridgerton (Netflix); The Crown (Netflix); The Ten Commandments (ABC); Highlander (Syfy). 

Annie Kershaw was the recipient of the 2024 Genesis Future Directors Award at the Young Vic and has been shortlisted for the 2026 Arts Foundation Award. From 2023 to 2024, she held the position of Carne Deputy Director at Jermyn Street Theatre. As a Director, credits include: Private View (Soho Theatre), The Maids (Jermyn Street Theatre and Reading Rep Theatre), Girl In The Machine (Young Vic), Light (Young Vic), and Hedda Gabler and Safe (Reading Rep Theatre). As Associate Director, credits include: Best of Enemies (Noël Coward Theatre). As an Assistant Director, credits include: Juniper Blood (Donmar Warehouse), Jekyll and Hyde (Reading Rep Theatre), Dorian (Reading Rep Theatre), Best of Enemies (Young Vic), and Henry II (Rabble Theatre).

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