The National Theatre’s production of Christopher Hampton’s ‘Les Liaisons Dangereuses’ is transmitted live from the Donmar Warehouse on Sunday 14 February at 4pm.
The play (which one critic referred to as “one of the best stage adaptations ever written”) was first performed thirty years ago and is based on Choderlos de Laclos’ scandalous epistolary novel of sex, intrigue and betrayal in pre-revolutionary France written in 1782.
The plot follows former lovers, the Marquise de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont as they compete in games of seduction and revenge. Merteuil incites Valmont to corrupt the innocent Cecile de Volanges before her wedding night but Valmont has targeted the virtuous and beautiful Madame de Tourvel. While these merciless aristocrats toy with others’ hearts and reputations, their own prove more fragile than they supposed.
This production directed by Josie Rourke and starring Janet McTeer, Dominic West and Elaine Cassidy has been critically reviewed as “a brilliant revival”.
Shakespeare’s popular comedy ‘As You Like It’ comes direct to the Wellesley from the National Theatre on Thursday 25 February at 7pm.
The production has attracted much attention for its fresh approach, particularly visual elements which set the opening scenes in the corporate world of desks, computers and post-it notes where robotic staff are presented as wage slaves. The transformation to the Forest of Arden is described as a moment of theatrical magic which illustrates the ‘otherness’ of the forest and allows the characters to be released from the shackles of convention. Rosalie Craig stars as Rosalind, Joe Bannister as Orlando, Patsy Ferran as Celia and Philip Arditti as Oliver. Mark Benton plays Touchstone with Paul Chahidi as Jaques.
Tickets and further information from www.wellesleycinema.co.uk.