Previously Unseen Diaries of Withnail and I Inspiration Vivian MacKerrell to Auction

Charismatic young actor Vivian MacKerrell was one of the inspirations for the eponymous central character in Withnail and I, writer-director Bruce Robinson’s 1987 cult classic. His never previously released diaries which feature vivid first-hand accounts of moments immortalised on screen including the intake of lighter fluid and visit to the wolves in Regent's Park will be offered as part of Sotheby's Books & Manuscripts sale frunning June 26 - July 11.

A black comedy, the semi-autobiographical film follows two struggling, hard-drinking young actors who escape London life for the weekend and stay at a cottage owned by Withnail's eccentric uncle. Vivian MacKerrell (1944-1995) shared a house in Camden Town, London, with Robinson where they lived in bohemian squalor not dissimilar to the film. The two volumes of MacKerrell’s diaries cover the years 1974 to 1975, beginning when MacKerrell was still living with Bruce Robinson on Albert Street, and mention that Robinson was beginning a new writing project, Withnail and I. 

These diaries, not seen beyond MacKerrell’s most intimate circle, showcase the witty, poetic, caustic, debauched and riotous voice that helped to inspire the character of Withnail.  They include the real-life events behind many of the beloved episodes from the film including the mouse-ridden squalor of the flat, the 30th birthday, and feelings about witnessing friends move on with their lives. 

While the film ends when ‘I’ moves out, the diaries continue after Robinson’s departure and show that MacKerrell continued living in the same squalid home, but with new housemates, and an undiminished appetite for drink and drugs. The entries also record MacKerrell’s dreams, lists of songs, miscellaneous notes, creative writing in prose, and draft letters. They will be accompanied by photographs of MacKerrell from his personal archive, including unseen negatives from a Vogue photoshoot, together estimated £12,000 – £18,000.

Vivian Mackerrell was among a group of students from the Central School of Speech and Drama in London living in a house owned by songwriter Lord David Dundas who wrote the musical score for the film. As Robinson recalled in an interview, one by one, their careers took them elsewhere until there were just two people left, himself and MacKerrell. The diaries are a chronicle of bohemian London, as MacKerrell recounts his life – in a state of near-permanent inebriation – with many colourful characters and happenings along the way. 


In the early months of 1974, the diary records that Robinson has become increasingly focused on a writing project and MacKerrell writes about reading an early draft of Robinson’s original novel, also titled Withnail and I, which formed the basis of the later screenplay. The diaries include references to public events such as the 1974 General Election, plays, films, and music, and to visits home to his family on the isle of Islay. In January 1975, MacKerrell records a short holiday in Gloucestershire that was more successful than Withnail’s fictional trip to the Lake District. Several entries also describe the valiant attempts of estate agents to sell the Albert Street house, despite MacKerrell’s sleeping or drunken presence. 

“Vivian MacKerrell’s diaries are a wonderful discovery," said Dr Gabriel Heaton, Sotheby’s Books & Manuscripts Specialist. "They preserve a witty, acrid, unapologetic and melancholy voice, and describe a squalid bohemian lifestyle that is instantly recognisable to lovers of Withnail & I. The diaries are a touching tribute to MacKerrell’s friendship with Bruce Robinson, and the impact they had on each other’s lives. These diaries allow us to better understand and celebrate one of the real-life characters who inspired it.”