Following this strictly limited West End run, Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial will tour the UK. The trial that gripped the nation has been adapted from seven days of High Court transcripts by Liv Hennessy (finalist in the Paines Plough’s Women’s Prize for Playwriting) and directed by Lisa Spirling (Artistic Director of Theatre503).
Reprising their roles will be Lucy May Barker (Mamma Mia!, West End; Pine Hampstead Theatre) as Rebekah Vardy and Laura Dos Santos (Yes So I Said Yes, Finborough Theatre; My White Best Friend, Liverpool Everyman) as Coleen Rooney, Jonathan Broadbent (The Comedy of Errors, RSC; My Night with Reg, Donmar and West End) as Hugh Tomlinson QC, Tom Turner as David Sherborne and Nathan McMullen (Misfits, E4; Hushabye Mountain, Hope Mill) playing multiple roles including Wayne Rooney and Jamie Vardy. Joining the lineup is Halema Hussain (Father and the Assassin, National Theatre) playing multiple roles including Caroline Watt and Harpreet Robinson, and Verna Vyas, making her West End debut as Mrs Justice Steyn. Understudies include Tom Sullivan and Ceili O’Connor.
A special gala performance in support of Advocate will take place on 13 April at the Ambassadors Theatre. The charity exists to match members of the public who need free legal help with barristers who are willing to donate their time and expertise in deserving cases for those who are unable to obtain legal aid and cannot afford to pay. Advocate is the Bar’s national pro bono charity that makes it possible for barristers to balance a dedicated practice with making a significant contribution to the community.
There will be three assisted performances at the Ambassadors Theatre. These include a Captioned performance on 29 April at 14:30, BSL interpreted performance on 4 May 19:30 and Audio described performance on 13 May 14:30.
From sting operations to sensational headlines, this verbatim production reveals what went on behind closed doors in the case that turned social media sleuthing into high drama. Audiences can see first-hand, and in the words of Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney, how the extraordinary week in court played out. Vardy v Rooney is a story stranger than fiction, with lurid one-liners and revelations blurring the boundaries of tabloid and court case, social media and soap opera. This unique moment in British media history captivated the country but while public debate raged, only a handful of people witnessed what happened in the trial. Now audiences can watch the intrigue and intricacies of the case live on stage in the West End and beyond.
Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial is designed by Polly Sullivan, the lighting designer is Johanna Town, the composer and sound designer is Richard Hammarton and Lizzie Manwaring is assistant director.
Ambassadors Theatre, West St, London, WC2H 9ND from 6 April – 20 May 2023. Times: Monday – Saturday 7:30pm; Thursday & Saturday 2:30pm
Booking: 0844 871 7615
