Wagatha Christie writer: ‘Vardy and Rooney are both incredibly clever’
Vardy v Rooney writer Liv Hennessy on the two iconic women behind Wagatha Christie, and the camp, maximalist British court system
YOU’VE TWEAKED THE PLAY TO LEAVE A QUESTION OVER WHO WON. WHY?
We don’t exactly leave the play on a question mark, as we have the judge’s verdict at the end! But yes, we definitely show a more balanced version of the case than we did first time round. During the initial writing process (which was only around six weeks from commission to stage), we didn’t have the space to delve into the deeper complexities of the case. When I discovered we’d be transferring to the West End, it felt like the perfect opportunity to go back into those court docs and really engage with the intricacies.
WHO DO YOU THINK IS GUILTY? LET’S SOLVE WAGATHA CHRISTIE HERE AND NOW…
I couldn’t possibly say. What’s striking about libel law in the UK is, because of the reverse burden of proof, Rebekah Vardy had a very strong case. Neither team knew who had won until the day of the verdict.
WAS IT HARD TO GET THE TONE RIGHT?
While the case had two real women at its centre, it was ultimately a low stakes dispute, and it’s important to remember that both of them wanted to do this publicly, Coleen by posting that infamous ‘reveal’ post, and Rebekah for taking it to court. The trial was all about how we behave online, and the conflation between private and public spheres in a world of social media. So while there is a lot of (hilarious) dramatic irony when WhatsApp messages are read aloud, completely contradicting what someone’s just said, we saw this play as a modern comedy of manners, a way to satirise contemporary society and our relationships.
WHY DO VARDY AND ROONEY MAKE GREAT CHARACTERS?
They’re both incredibly clever, self possessed and, in this instance, both feel that they’ve been the victim of a great injustice. Lucy May Barker and Laura Dos Santos have done an incredible job in making these women three dimensional and real; this isn’t caricature or impression, it’s a human portrayal of two people thrust into the spotlight because they’re married to footballers. Like we always said in the rehearsal room, they’re both playing the game but they play it differently.
WHAT’S THE LINE YOU’RE MOST PROUD OF?
I can’t take credit for any of the lines as it’s mostly verbatim, but I loved everything that came out of David Sherborne’s mouth. His closing statement was a thing of beauty. I don’t think the British public are really aware of how camp and maximalist our courts are – there are wigs, costumes, jokes. British court rooms are inherently theatrical.
HOW DID OPENING NIGHT FEEL?
The first time we opened at the Wyndham’s was completely surreal and electric. It was a sold out show, and the rowdiest audience I’ve ever encountered on a stage. It was definitely a night nobody will forget, but we feel very lucky to be doing this again. And this time our own stage (last time we were doing Tuesday nights on Life Of Pi’s stage!).
Vardy v Rooney The Wagatha Christie Trial is at Ambassadors until 20 May
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