Following a strictly limited run at the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End (6 April – 20 May 2023),Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial will tour to the following locations: WOKING New Victoria Theatre (26 May – 27 May 2023), LIVERPOOL Empire Theatre (28 May 2023), SOUTHEND Palace Theatre (30-31 May 2023), SALFORD The Lowry (9-11 June 2023) and BRIGHTON Theatre Royal (15-17 June 2023).
The verbatim production opened on 15 November 2022 at the Wyndham’s Theatre where it played to packed houses and standing ovations. 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. Further casting is to be announced.
Tickets will go on sale for The Lowry on Friday 3 February 2023. www.thelowry.com 0161 876 2000 or www.wagathaplay.co.uk Tickets for the rest of the tour will go on sale on 17 February.
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.
Three assisted performances at the Ambassadors Theatre are also announced today. 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 adapted by Liv Hennessy, directed by Lisa Spirling and designed by Polly Sullivan, the composer and sound designer is Richard Hammarton and Lizzie Manwaring is assistant director.
