Les Liaisons Dangereuses
30 April 2026
National Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Les Liaisons Dangereuses is currently playing at the National Theatre until 6 June, boasting absolute star power with Aidan Turner and Lesley Manville as the Vicomte de Valmont and the Marquise de Merteuil respectively. Christopher Hampton’s stage adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos novel is a masterpiece of intrigue, duly celebrated by this new production.
The Marquise and Vicomte are lovers-turned-rivals who use their wealth and influence to play cruel games to amuse themselves, using sex to humiliate and denigrate their chosen targets. The Marquise wants the Vicomte to seduce a young debutante to disgrace her future husband, while he has set his eyes on a virtuous married woman. Their manipulations play with people’s reputations and threaten their own.
The story is set in the 1780s in France, and the National Theatre has created opulent costumes nodding towards that setting without being historically accurate. Large, bustled dresses and sharp suits bring a gorgeous aesthetic to the opening masked ball scene. The stage is mirrored all around with an oversized, modern chandelier bringing a sophisticated edge. The simplicity of the stage design, with very few items of furniture and sliding L-shaped panels creating walls and rooms when needed, it’s a beautifully elegant design that doesn’t clutter the stage and gives space to the action unfolding.
Acting is sharp and convincing in this production, with words taking centre stage above all. The sumptuous writing does most of the heavy lifting here, it’s an exquisite script that balances so much nuance, telling the story of two absolutely awful people with absolutely awful morals in such an artistically beautiful way. The narrative is told wonderfully through the perspectives of the Marquise and the Vicomte, who are both such deliciously despicable people, it’s a delight to watch.
