By Harry Mottram: In a drama all about saving face, ego and incredible wealth – the footballers’ wives of Jeremy Vardy and Wayne Rooney face each other in court following Rebekah Vardy’s decision to sue Coleen Rooney for defamation over leaked private messages about her private life. Mrs Rooney was convinced Mrs Vardy was behind the leaks and set a trap to expose her fellow WAG – and the phrase Wagatha Christie was born.
In 2022 the libel case finally arrived in court with the public and media gripped. From the transcripts of the court case TV script writer Olivia Hennessy created the play Vardy v Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial which was nominated for a Laurence Olivier Award – and now you can witness the drama in Axbridge Town Hall this week. Directed by Phil Saunders of Axbridge Community Theatre the cast features some well known local faces in what will no doubt have you gripped up until the final judgement.
There have been various documentaries about the court case and a two part Channel 4 drama – in which the lives of the Wives and Girlfriends (WAGS) of famous footballers are laid bare for all to see – along with the eye-wateringly high legal bills. Meanwhile their husbands continue with their lives as only bit part players in the drama. Wayne has recently retired from a long career which ended when he managed Plymouth and Derby while Jamie is still playing top flight football – this time in Italy.
Words from Axbridge Community Theatre: “Edited from seven days of High Court transcripts, witness the case of Rebekah Vardy v Coleen Rooney as it unfolds, in their own words. A story stranger than fiction that blurs the boundaries of tabloid scoop, court case and soap opera, this trial explores privacy and celebrity in modern Britain whilst asking “who is Davy Jones and where exactly is his locker”? While the country was captivated, only a handful of people witnessed what happened behind closed doors. Now you can too! This amateur production is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. Rehearsal Photography by Adam Clutterbuck.”
Tickets are still available for Wednesday and Thursday at https://www.ticketsource.co.uk/axbridgecommunitytheatre
Harry Mottram
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