Wagatha Christie case, according to Liv Hennessy, whose West End production is based on the High Court dispute, has intrigue, suspense, and broken friendships—all the elements of a great drama.
Rebekah Vardy and Coleen Rooney’s argument made headlines earlier this year, whether you liked it or not. It may provide some light relief to audiences weary of hearing about politics, the heatwave, Covid, and the war in Ukraine.
According to playwright Hennessy, a former story producer for the ITV serial series Emmerdale, “Wagatha felt like a real water-cooler moment in the UK, which I think is rather rare anymore.”
The trial was dubbed “Wagatha Christie” in honor of both Agatha Christie, the author renowned for her whodunit mysteries, and the women who serve as footballers’ girlfriends and spouses (Wags).
Following her Instagram sting operation in 2019, Mrs. Rooney publicly accused Mrs. Vardy of disclosing personal information about her to the Sun.
Mrs. Vardy has consistently disputed this and has taken Mrs. Rooney to court; nevertheless, in July, Mrs. Justice Steyn determined that Mrs. Rooney’s accusation was “largely true.”
Mrs. Vardy is anticipated to pay Mrs. Rooney’s legal expenses with an estimated £1.5 million.
Vardy v. Rooney: The Wagatha Christie Trial, the subject of Hennessy’s drama, explores the boundaries between what is private and what is public.
This case couldn’t have occurred ten years ago, and it probably won’t in ten more because media law is now keeping up with how we use social media daily, according to the author.
“The play explores our expectations of public characters and whether we think they should act honorably, which is reasonable whether you’re a politician or another person in a position of great authority.
“However, things get more complicated if you use social media and are a social media influencer or if you are “celebrity adjacent.”
“We kind of have a right to know if we can trust you or not when you start to monetise public trust and get paid for your Instagram postings.”
Hennessy spent a week reading 1,200 pages of transcripts that the play’s producers had purchased before putting pen to paper.
But this wasn’t a problem because she had already been “glued to the case,” following it on Twitter and in WhatsApp groups while enjoying some of the memes in particular.
I’m used to working under enormous pressure, meeting incredibly tight deadlines, and finding the story because I’m from the soap industry, Hennessy explains.
It was a ride, but it matched my skill set. To “make sure I nailed it,” she also sought advice from those knowledgeable in the relevant legal areas.
When the play’s characters speak, they use actual words from genuine conversations. Hennessy was asked to write the play by director Lisa Spirling, who was aware that the structure could be effective.
We knew it had been done before since Nicholas Kent produced a sizable number of plays based on trials [and inquiries] at London’s Tricycle Theatre, she adds.
He has written plays about the Grenfell Tower fire, the murder of Stephen Lawrence, and Bloody Sunday. Both women are frank about what in the Vardy-Rooney trial stood out to them and what they decided to ignore.
Hennessy emphasizes that she is not attempting to minimize the ladies, who are perhaps best recognized for being footballers’ wives.
She says,
“You could think we’re punching down on individuals who don’t know the law, that we’re going to laugh at them.”
“This play isn’t about that at all.”
Hennessy claims that after reading the transcripts, it became clear that “they are both incredibly intelligent women, who navigate a legal system – most of us would be very confused.”
She explains, “They’re so self-possessed, they’re confident, and they handle it.”
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