Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray presented by The Online Stage.

Vanity Fair centers on the young Becky Sharp and her dear friend Amelia Sedley during the time of the Napoleonic Wars. Rebecca Sharp is the daughter of an art teacher and a French dancer, being ambitious, intelligent, and strong willed in order to get what she wants out of society. She is often touted as amoral and an anti-heroine. Alternately, her friend Amelia is kind, good natured, and born into wealth. The interwoven fortunes of the two women play out among a backdrop of social skirmishes and human afflictions of pride and ego.

The novel is presented as a multiplot puppet play at a never-ending fair, using both a preface and a coda to bookend the story. The narrator character also interjects themselves into the story with gossip and opinions about the action occurring in certain scenes. Published as a serial in 19 monthly installments, it is a satire of 19th century Britain, highlighting hypocrisy and opportunism. After initial release, it was published in full in 1848 with the subtitle of A Novel Without a Hero, a nod to Thackeray's feelings about heroism in literature.

Cast:

Narrator - Lillian Rachel

Rebecca Sharp - Amanda Friday

Amelia Sedley - Anna Grace

Rawdon Crawley - Jon Bolitho-Jones

George Osbourne - Andy Harrington

William Dobbin - Tyler Hyrchuk

Joseph Sedley - Tim Sailer

Sir Pitt Crawley - Graham Scott

Matilda Crawley - Sarah Mitchell

Pitt Crawley - Rob Goll

Rose Crawley - Merete Mohs

Peggy O'Dowd - P. J. Morgan

Major O'Dowd - David Stifel

Jane Sheepshanks - Ella Lynch

Lady Steyne - Danielle Cohen

Lord Steyne - Jeff Moon

Captain Grigg - Caleb Summers

Miss Pinkerton - Sybil Johnson

Little Girl - Isabelle Friday