A new verbatim play based on the Wagatha Christie Trial will be coming to the West End for one night only.
Directed by Lisa Spirling, Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial will capture the dramatic legal battle between the wives of two of England’s most famous football players, Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney, which took social media by storm.
Audiences will get to witness first-hand a recreation of the infamous week in court, with dialogue adapted from high court transcripts. With a case that has been labelled as “stranger than fiction”, this play explores the blurred lines between “privacy and celebrity in modern Britain.”
While the court proceedings took place earlier this year, the dispute dates back to 2019 when Rooney accused Vardy of leaking stories about her to the press. The trial earned the nickname “Wagatha Christie” after revealing details of her intricate plan to expose Vardy.
Rooney posted fake stories on her private Instagram and gradually limited the amount of people who were able to view them until only Vardy’s account remained. When one of the fictitious posts appeared as a news story in the Sun newspaper, Rooney concluded that Vardy was the culprit, announcing her findings in a dramatic post: “It’s … Rebekah Vardy’s account.” What ensued was a high-profile lawsuit where Vardy attempted to sue Rooney for defamation. However, she lost after a high court ruled that Rooney’s accusations were “substantially true.”
Producer Eleanor Lloyd will be staging the show alongside Eilene Davidson Productions. Dates and venues are yet to be announced.
Words by Katie Heyes
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