Nothing is guaranteed to fill more column inches than a good old-fashioned libel trial where reputations are made, lost and ultimately buried. If only they realised: a story dies if you just let it be; today's headlines are tomorrow's footnotes as an endless stream of gossip fills the void. But for a privileged few it becomes an irresistible plaything. Social affirmation and public vindication are strong weapons when you have a name to protect. Football WAGs Coleen Rooney and Rebekah Vardy fell out in specular fashion when a simple 'sting' exposed a troublesome 'leak'. This excellent production picks the story up as the trial begins.
It went off big style in October 2019 when Rooney (Laura Dos Santos) exposed Vardy (Lucy May Barker) as the source of leaks from her Instagram account. Having blocked access to all other followers fake stories were planted to see if they appeared in the papers. Sure enough, they did and Vardy was caught by the proverbial offside trap. So the legend of Wagatha Christie was born in the full glare of tabloid publicity. Vardy launched a libel action against Rooney in June 2020 and the scene was set for the warring WAGs to do battle. They hire big-hitting barristers Hugh Tomlinson QC (Jonnie Broadbent) and David Sherborne (Tom Turner) with Mrs Justice Steyn (Verna Vyas) as the inscrutable presiding judge. Halema Hussain and Nathan McMullen are the roving pundits who also double up in various supporting roles.
The compact venue perfectly suits the play, with a well-appointed set retaining the glamour and gravitas of a courtroom. Adapted from original court transcripts it feels authentic and contemporary. It also finds a level of humour that befits inflated egos hung out to dry. Predictably, the football analogies come thick and fast but is no less entertaining as a result. Aside from some comedic padding, it holds up well as a mainly factual account. It’s difficult to feel sympathy for either side as they both made fools of themselves to a greater or lesser extent. Vardy and Rooney spent £3 million in legal fees to settle nothing more than a petty squabble. It is an outrageous waste of money but such cases perform a vital function in a bleak landscape. They provide light and shade against the death and destruction that usually fills newspapers; and we wouldn’t have got such great entertainment like this show?Review by Brian Penn
Rating: ★★★★
Seat: Stalls G4 | Price of Ticket: £59
