Review: RITA, SUE AND BOB TOO, Citizens Theatre, Glasgow

First staged at the Royal Court in 1982, Rita, Sue and Bob Too being staged in 2017/18 has been quite controversial. At a time when so many are speaking up about sexual harassment is it really appropriate to stage a play that is about a grown man grooming two teenagers?

Twenty-seven-year-old Bob is dropping 15-year-old Rita and Sue home after babysitting his children. He suggests that they go for a drive and then starts asking them invasive questions. The girls tell him that it's none of his business whether they're a virgin, but he persists and asks them if they know how to put a Durex on.

"A bit iffy" doesn't quite cut it. Rita, Sue and Bob Too is an uncomfortable watch. While the girls think they are in control of the situation you can't quite shake the unease that this is a grown man preying upon young girls. When they mention their concerns about his wife, Bob says he isn't getting any from her - as though this is a perfectly reasonable explanation for his actions.

It isn't an easy watch. As details of the affair emerge, people seem to blame the two girls for leading Bob astray. The dialogue in this particular scene is excruciating as his wife demands "What sort of a man would he be turning it down when handed to him on a plate?".

The performances are excellent. Although James Atherton's Bob oozes sleaze, you can see the elements of charm that attracted Rita and Sue to him.

Watching this play in 2018 shows a stark contrast about how much has changed with attitude towards women and relationships. Should Rita, Sue and Bob Too be staged in the age of #MeToo ? Of course it should.

Rita, Sue and Bob Too is at the Citizens Theatre until 17 February.

To post a comment, you must register and login.