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Les Liaisons Dangereuses (play)

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Les Liaisons Dangereuses (French: [le ljɛzɔ̃ dɑ̃ʒ(ə)ʁøz]) is a 1985 play by Christopher Hampton adapted from the 1782 novel by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. The play was first staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company and opened at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon on 24 September 1985 starring Lindsay Duncan, Alan Rickman, Juliet Stevenson, Lesley Manville, and Fiona Shaw. They made its Broadway transfer 1987 with Duncan and Rickman reprising their roles. It was adapted into the Stephen Frears directed Dangerous Liaisons (1988) and has since been revived several times on Broadway and the West End.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses
Poster for the 2008 Roundabout Theatre Company production
Written byChristopher Hampton
Date premiered24 September 1985
Place premieredThe Other Place
Stratford-upon-Avon
Original languageEnglish
Subjectseduction, revenge, and human malice
GenreDrama
SettingParis and the Bois de Vincennes, late 1780s

Plot

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The plot focuses on the Marquise de Merteuil and the Vicomte de Valmont, rivals who use sex as a weapon of humiliation and degradation, all the while enjoying their cruel games. Their targets are the virtuous (and married) Madame de Tourvel and Cécile de Volanges, a young girl who has fallen in love with her music tutor, the Chevalier Danceny. In order to gain their trust, Merteuil and Valmont pretend to help the secret lovers so they can use them later in their own treacherous schemes.

Characters and cast

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Notable casts

Character Original
Production		 Broadway
debut		 Film
adaptation		 Broadway
Revival		 West End
Revival		 Broadway
Revival		 West End
Revival
1985 1987 1988 2008 2016 2016 2026
Marquise de Merteuil Lindsay Duncan Glenn Close Laura Linney Janet McTeer Lesley Manville
Vicomte de Valmont Alan Rickman John Malkovich Ben Daniels Dominic West Liev Schreiber Aidan Turner
Madame de Tourvel Juliet Stevenson Suzanne Burden Michelle Pfeiffer Jessica Collins Elaine Cassidy Birgitte Hjort Sørensen Monica Barbaro
Cécile de Volanges Lesley Manville Beatie Edney Uma Thurman Mamie Gummer Morfydd Clark Elena Kampouris Hannah van der Westhuysen
Madame de Volanges Fiona Shaw Kristin Milward Swoosie Kurtz Kristine Nielsen Adjoa Andoh Ora Jones Cat Simmons
Chevalier Danceny Sean Baker Hilton McRae Keanu Reeves Benjamin Walker Edward Holcroft Raffi Barsoumian Darragh Hand

Notable productions

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1985 Royal Shakespeare Company

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Staged by the Royal Shakespeare Company, the play opened at The Other Place in Stratford-upon-Avon on 24 September 1985. Directed by Howard Davies, the cast included Lindsay Duncan as the Marquise de Merteuil, Alan Rickman as the Vicomte de Valmont, Juliet Stevenson as Madame de Tourvel, Lesley Manville as Cécile de Volanges, and Sean Baker as the Chevalier Danceny.[1]

On 8 January 1986, the production transferred to The Pit, an intimate studio theatre in the Barbican Centre in London, with its original cast intact.[1] Christopher Hampton won the Evening Standard Award for Best Play and the Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Play, and Lindsay Duncan received the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actress.[2] In October 1986, with only a few cast changes, the production transferred again to the Ambassadors Theatre in the West End.[3] A recording of The Pit production can be listened to on premises, at the British Library.[4]

1987 Broadway debut

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Lindsay Duncan and Alan Rickman reprised their roles for the Broadway production, also directed by Howard Davies. Following eight previews, it opened at the Music Box Theatre on April 30, 1987 and ran for 149 performances. Christopher Hampton was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Play and the Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, but lost both to August Wilson for Fences. Duncan won the Theatre World Award and Davies won the Tony Award for Best Direction of a Play. The show won the 1987 New York Drama Critics' Circle Award for Best Foreign Play.

1988 film adaptation

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Hampton adapted the play for the screen in a 1988 film version directed by Stephen Frears and starring Glenn Close, John Malkovich, Michelle Pfeiffer, Uma Thurman, Swoosie Kurtz, Mildred Natwick, Peter Capaldi and Keanu Reeves. It received seven nominations at the 61st Academy Awards, including for the Best Picture, and won three: Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, and Best Production Design.[5][6]

2008 Broadway revival

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Following 22 previews, a Broadway revival produced by the Roundabout Theatre Company opened at the American Airlines Theatre on May 1, 2008 and ran for 77 performances. Directed by Rufus Norris, the cast included Laura Linney as the Marquise de Merteuil, Ben Daniels as the Vicomte de Valmont, Mamie Gummer as Cécile de Volanges, and Benjamin Walker as the Chevalier Danceny, with Siân Phillips in the supporting role of Madame de Rosemonde. The production was nominated for the Tony Award for Best Revival of a Play but lost to Boeing-Boeing.

2012 Sydney Theatre Company

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Hampton's play was produced by the Sydney Theatre Company and performed at the Wharf Theatre as part of the 2012 season. The production was directed by Sam Strong,[7] with Hugo Weaving playing the Vicomte de Valmont and Pamela Rabe the Marquise de Merteuil. Strong said that he liked the line given to Rosamonde “The only thing which might surprise one is how little the world changes” because it "speaks directly to the timelessness of the piece's exploration of human behaviour, from the less savoury parts like betrayal and manipulation to the best parts like being in love." He also said he was "intrigued by the paradoxical nature of the Valmont and Tourvel story – the manner in which Valmont is both redeemed and destroyed by love at the same time". One reviewer noted that "Director Sam Strong's beautifully paced production emphasises gratification via the wielding of power rather than via lust."[8]

2016 West End/Broadway revival

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The play was revived at the Donmar Warehouse in the winter of 2015–16, the first time it had received a major outing in London since its 1986 premiere, directed was Josie Rourke and starring Dominic West as Valmont and Janet McTeer as Madame de Merteuil.[9] The production transferred to Broadway in a limited engagement with McTeer joined by Liev Schreiber and Mary Beth Peil as Madame de Rosemonde. The play opened at the Booth Theatre on October 30, 2016[10] and closing earlier on January 8, 2017 (rather than on January 22.)[11]

2026 West End revival

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A new revival of the play, directed by Marianne Elliott, opened at the National Theatre - Lyttleton on 21 March 2026 and is scheduled to run through 6 June. The production stars Aidan Turner as Valmont and Lesley Manville as Madame de Merteuil.[12]

Awards and nominations

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1986 West End production

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1987 Broadway production

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
1987 Drama Desk Awards Outstanding Play Christopher Hampton Nominated [14]
Outstanding Direction of a Play Howard Davies Won
Outstanding Actor in a Play Alan Rickman Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Play Lindsay Duncan Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Suzanne Burden Nominated
Best Set Design Bob Crowley Nominated
Best Costume Design Nominated
Best Lighting Design Chris Parry Won
Tony Awards Best Play Christopher Hampton Nominated
Best Actor in a Play Alan Rickman Nominated
Best Actress in a Play Lindsay Duncan Nominated
Best Direction of a Play Howard Davies Nominated
Best Scenic Design Bob Crowley Nominated
Best Costume Design Nominated
Best Lighting Design Beverly Emmons and Chris Parry Nominated
New York Drama Critics Circle Best Foreign Play Christopher Hampton Won
Theater World Award Distinguished Performance Lindsay Duncan Won


2008 Broadway revival

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2008 Drama Desk Award Outstanding Scenic Design of a Play Scott Pask Won [15]
Outstanding Costume Design of a Play Katrina Lindsay Won
Drama League Award Distinguished Revival of a Play Nominated
Outer Critics Circle Awards Outstanding Revival of a Play Nominated
Outstanding Direction of a Play Rufus Norris Nominated
Outstanding Actor in a Play Ben Daniels Nominated
Outstanding Actress in a Play Laura Linney Nominated
Outstanding Featured Actress in a Play Siân Phillips Nominated
Outstanding Set Design Scott Pask Nominated
Outstanding Costume Design Katrina Lindsay Won
Outstanding Lighting Design Donald Holder Nominated
Theater World Awards Distinguished Performance Ben Daniels Won
Tony Awards Best Revival of a Play Nominated
Best Actor in a Play Ben Daniels Nominated
Best Scenic Design of a Play Scott Pask Nominated
Best Costume Design of a Play Katrina Lindsay Won
Best Lighting Design of a Play Donald Holder Nominated

2016 West End revival

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Year Award Category Nominated work Result Ref.
2016 Laurence Olivier Awards Best Revival Nominated [16]
Best Actress Janet McTeer Nominated

References

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  1. 1 2 Les liaisons dangereuses at Google Books
  2. ↑ "Laurence Olivier Award archives". Archived from the original on 11 January 2012. Retrieved 18 July 2009.
  3. ↑ Cambridge Journals
  4. ↑ "Liaisons dangereuses/Hampton - British Library".
  5. ↑ "The 61st Academy Awards (1989) Nominees and Winners". oscars.org. Archived from the original on 6 July 2011. Retrieved 31 July 2011.
  6. ↑ "Dangerous Liaisons (1988) - Awards". imdb.com. Archived from the original on 2 April 2018. Retrieved 8 November 2009.
  7. ↑ Sydney Theatre Company description Archived 2012-05-05 at the Wayback Machine
  8. ↑ Review by Alexandra Joel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Stage Milk
  9. ↑ donmarwarehouse.com
  10. ↑ Viagas, Robert. "Janet McTeer 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses 'Opens on Broadway Today" Playbill, October 30, 2016
  11. ↑ Hetrick, Adam. " 'Les Liaisons Dangereuses' Will End Broadway Run Early" Playbill, November 23, 2016
  12. ↑ "Les Liaisons Dangereuses Tickets | London Theatre | Play | National Theatre". www.nationaltheatre.org.uk. Retrieved 8 April 2026.
  13. ↑ "1986 Oliviers". OfficialLondonTheatre. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  14. ↑ "Les Liaisons Dangereuses (Broadway, 1987)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  15. ↑ "Les Liaisons Dangereusses (Broadway, 2008)". Playbill. Retrieved 18 May 2026.
  16. ↑ "2016 Oliviers". OfficialLondonTheatre. Retrieved 18 May 2026.

Further reading

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  • Hampton, Christopher. Les Liaisons Dangereuses. London: Faber & Faber 1985. ISBN 0-571-13724-5
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