Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair

Written by William Makepeace Thackeray
Adapted by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod
Performed in English
1983–1985

Vanity Fair is Thackeray’s hilarious satire of Britain on the eve of the Battle of Waterloo. Beautiful Becky Sharp schemes her way up the Regency ant heap, a swarm with grotesque characters – like fat peacock Jos Sedley drunkenly cavorting in Vauxhall gardens and ancient but trendy Miss Crawley who drinks, gambles and back-bites with abandon. Thackeray dissects that corrupt era of face-powder, frivolity and self-interest before it suffocated beneath the crinoline of Victorian respectability.

Vanity Fair was first published in monthly parts in 1847–1848. Adapted for the stage from Thackeray’s novel by Declan Donnellan and Nick Ormerod.

Produced by Cheek by Jowl. The first performance of Vanity Fair was on 10th August 1983 at the Clockhouse Community Centre, London.

“An exhilarating sense of Theatre”
The Sunday Times

Cast and creative team

Cast

Name	Character
Andrew Collins	Miss Pinkerton / Mr Sedley / Rawdon Crawley / Isidor / Miss Glorvina
Martin Turner	Jemma Pinkerton / Joseph Sedley / Mr Osborne / Raggles
Amanda Harris	Amelia Sedley / Mrs Raggles
Duncan Bell	George Osborne / Sir Pitt Crawley / Marquis of Steyne
Simon Dormandy	William Dobbin / Pitt Crawley / Pauline / Lord Southdown / Correspondent
Anne White	Mrs Sedley / Miss Crawley / Mrs Major O’Dowd / Marshioness of Steyne

Creative Team

Role	Name
Director	Declan Donnellan
Designer	Nick Ormerod
Score and Musical Direction	Jeremy Sans
Company Stage Manager	Nick Kidd
Costumes	Kim Kenny

Previous performances

Previous Performances

Date (first performance)	Location	No. of performances
7 January 1985	London, Donmar Warehouse, UK	7
4 December 1984	Norwich, Arts Centre, UK	1
22 November 1984	Cologne, British Council Centre, Germany	1
14 November 1984	Munich, Alabama–Halle, Germany	6
11 November 1984	Erlangan, Theatre in der Garage, Germany	1
7 November 1984	Cologne, British Council, Germany	1
5 November 1984	Dusseldorf, Schauspielhaus, Germany	1
1 November 1984	Stamford, Arts Centre, UK	1
15 October 1984	Guildford, University of Surrey, UK	1
9 October 1984	Pendley, Arts Centre, UK	1
23 August 1984	Glasgow, Tron Theatre, UK	2
11 June 1984	Haifa, Beit Adu Hushi, Israel	3
9 June 1984	Jerusalem, Gerard Behar Centre, Israel	4
2 June 1984	Billericay, Arts Centre, UK	1
25 May 1984	Warminster, Arts Centre, UK	1
18 May 1984	Canterbury, Gulbenkian Theatre, UK	2
12 May 1984	Wallingford, Corn Exchange, UK	2
8 May 1984	Hereford, Nell Gwynne Theatre, UK	2
30 April 1984	Winchester, College, UK	1
28 April 1984	Aversham, Robin Hood Theatre, UK	1
26 April 1984	Milton Keynes, Stantonbury Theatre, UK	2
28 March 1984	Washington, Arts Centre, UK	1
22 March 1984	Bangor, Theatr Gwynedd, UK	3
19 March 1984	High Wycombe, Town Hall, UK	1
16 March 1984	Southport, Arts Centre, UK	1
13 March 1984	Accrington, Town Hall, UK	1
12 March 1984	Langholm, The Academy, UK	1
10 March 1984	Biggar, Arts Centre, UK	1
9 March 1984	Stranraer, Academy, UK	1
8 March 1984	Gatehouse, Primary School, UK	1
7 March 1984	Thornhill, Wallace Hall Academy, UK	1
2 March 1984	Irvine, Harbour Arts Centre, UK	1
1 March 1984	Aberdeen, Arts Centre, UK	1
29 February 1984	Durham, Dunelm House, UK	1
26 February 1984	Chertsey, The Hall, UK	1
23 February 1984	Plymouth, The Drum, UK	3
18 February 1984	Maidstone, Hazlitt Theatre, UK	1
17 February 1984	Broadstairs, Hilderstone Arts Centre, UK	1
15 February 1984	Tunbridge Wells, Trinity Arts Centre, UK	1
14 February 1984	Eastbourne, Tivoli Arts Centre, UK	1
9 February 1984	Bracknell, Wilde Theatre, UK	1
7 February 1984	Runcorn, Castlefields Centre, UK	2
6 February 1984	Ormskirk, Civic Hall, UK	1
1 February 1984	Bury St Edmunds, Theatre Royal, UK	4
26 January 1984	Epsom, Playhouse, UK	3
13 January 1984	Luton, Library Theatre, UK	2
17 December 1983	Aylesbury, Limelight Theatre, UK	1
16 December 1983	Windsor, Arts Centre, UK	1
15 December 1983	Aldershot, West End Centre, UK	1
12 December 1983	Scunthorpe, Civic Theatre, UK	2
8 December 1983	Gt Yarmouth, St Georges, UK	1
6 December 1983	Basildon, Towngate Studio, UK	2
3 December 1983	Tamworth, Arts Centre, UK	1
2 December 1983	Rugby, Macready Theatre, UK	1
1 December 1983	Halesowen, Leasowes School, UK	1
30 November 1983	Kidderminster, College of FE, UK	1
29 November 1983	Evesham, Arts Centre, UK	1
28 November 1983	Stoke on Trent, Arts Project, UK	1
26 November 1983	Shropshire, Ellesmere Arts Centre, UK	1
25 November 1983	Burton upon Trent, Bass Museum, UK	1
24 November 1983	Hereford, Cathedral School, UK	1
23 November 1983	Shrewsbury, 6th Form College, UK	1
22 November 1983	Stafford, Gatehouse Theatre, UK	1
21 November 1983	Bridnorth, Theatre on the Steps, UK	1
19 November 1983	Skegness, Arcadia Centre, UK	1
18 November 1983	Louth, Cordeaux High School, UK	1
17 November 1983	Gainsborough, Queen Elizabeth HS, UK	1
16 November 1983	Humberside, Baysgarth Drama School, UK	1
15 November 1983	Grimsby, Whitgift Theatre, UK	1
14 November 1983	Withernsea, High School, UK	1
11 November 1983	Leicester, Pheonix Arts Centre, UK	3
8 November 1983	King’s Lynn, Fermoy Centre, UK	2
4 November 1983	Hemel Hempstead, Old Town Hall, UK	2
3 November 1983	Banbury, Spiceball Arts Centre, UK	1
2 November 1983	Basingstoke, Central Studio, UK	1
31 October 1983	Stevenage, Gordon Craig Theatre, UK	2
28 October 1983	Sudbury, Quay Theatre, UK	2
25 October 1983	Colchester, St Mary’s Arts Centre, UK	2
25 October 1983	Colchester, University Theatre, UK	2
24 October 1983	Bury St Edmunds, Theatre Royal, UK	1
21 October 1983	Boston, Blackfriars Arts Centre, UK	2
19 October 1983	Chipping Norton, The Theatre, UK	2
13 October 1983	Coleraine, Riverside Theatre, UK	3
12 October 1983	Omagh, Town Hall, UK	1
11 October 1983	Armagh, Technical College, Ireland	1
8 October 1983	Frome, Merlin Theatre, UK	1
7 October 1983	Dartingdon, Arts Centre, UK	1
6 October 1983	Torrington, The Plough, UK	1
5 October 1983	St Austell, Arts Centre, UK	1
4 October 1983	Bridgewater, Arts Centre, UK	1
30 September 1983	Whitehaven, Rosehill Theatre, UK	2
28 September 1983	Ambleside, CharlotteMasonCollege, UK	1
27 September 1983	Barrow, 6th Form College, UK	1
23 September 1983	Uppingham, Theatre, UK	2
21 September 1983	Fareham, Drama Centre, UK	2
16 September 1983	Oundle, Stahl Theatre, UK	2
13 September 1983	Sutton, Secombe Theatre, UK	2
18 August 1983	Edinburgh, Bedlam, UK	14
10 August 1983	London, Clockhouse Community Centre, UK	1

Awards and reviews

Awards

Olivier Award – Most Promising Newcomer of the Year in Theatre
1985 – Cheek by Jowl for Andromache, Pericles and Vanity Fair at the Donmar Warehouse

Edinburgh Fringe First
1983 – Vanity Fair

Scottish Arts Club Writer’s Award
1983 – Vanity Fair

Reviews

“An exhilarating sense of Theatre.”
The Sunday Times

“A fluid bubbling and dazzling show… one of the central theatrical experiences of the Israel Festival”
Yediot Achronot

“Ormerod designs, making much use of brilliant white as a piece for seven performers who throw the narrative between them like game of catch…Enhances the musicality and wit of the language without losing its sense of meaning; it is done with all possible lightness and speed well short of haste.”
The Observer