By Neil Durham

WORTH A LOOK?: ****

WHEN? Monday 30 March, opens 1 April and runs through 6 June 2026 RUNTIME: 180 minutes (includes a 20-minute interval)

Manville (Oedipus, Wyndham’s Theatre) played young virgin Cécile in the original Royal Shakespeare Company production of this 1985 play and so it’s deliciously appropriate she returns to lead the cast in this Marianne Elliott-directed (COCK, Ambassadors Theatre) revival.

• Read on for reasons including how this is a wonderfully cast romp through a razor-sharp period piece which doesn’t quite convince of its relevance to today

Manville plays the Marquise de Merteuil who rails silently against patriarchal 18th century French society plotting the downfall of a former lover at the hands of her own malleable ex Valmont who is brought to wolfish life by Aidan Turner (Lemons, Lemons, Lemons, Harold Pinter Theatre).

The zingers in Christopher Hampton’s adaptation of Choderlos de Laclos’ classic novel remind of Oscar Wilde as the cruel Marquise and charismatic Valmont conspire to both seduce the naive Cécile before her forthcoming marriage and encourage the virtuous Madame de Tourvel to betray both her faith and her husband.

Elliott gives us a stage surrounded by mirrors so we the audience can see ourselves in them and recognise our complicity in the dastardly machinations we are enjoying which also seek to bring down some innocent women caught in the crosshairs of both these players’ games.

We’re predominantly in Paris but Turner gives us his natural Irish accent which is a bold choice but does help him to convince as a silver-tongued chancer who can charm his way out of any tricky situation.

Valmont 1st meets Madame de Tourvel, Monica Barbaro in a fine stage debut, at the house of his wise aunt Madame de Rosemond given life by a joyous Gabrielle Drake.

He realises de Tourvel’s servant is following him and stages a ruse to impress her as it appears he is rescuing a family in financial difficulties as he does all he can to win her love.

Meanwhile, Valmot offers to be an intermediary between Darragh Hand’s (Dear England, National Theatre) sensitive music teacher Chevalier Danceny and Hannah van der Westhuysen’s naive Cécile.

Our problem with this revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses is the use of modern dance which too often leaves Barbaro’s Madame de Tourvel doing laps of the stage adding to the considerable running time at no particular advantage to the storytelling.

There’s also a pointlessly large chandelier-type prop which shrieks of big budget which really isn’t needed when the source material is so strong.

Why this revival now?

It’s difficult to be sure but if it means Manville can convince as wholeheartedly as she does as the alluring lead as she contemplates the loss of her power that is reason enough.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a wonderfully cast romp through a razor-sharp period piece which doesn’t quite convince of its relevance to today.

• Main pictures via Facebook courtesy National Theatre Tickets
• Have you seen an Aidan Turner or Lesley Manville show before and what did you think of this 1? Let us know what you thought in the comments below
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