DANGEROUS LIAISONS by

CHRISTOPHER HAMPTON

 

16th - 19th May 2007

 

 

 

PICTURE GALLERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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THE FLYER

 

 

La Marquise de Merteuil and Le Vicomte de Valmont scheme and seduce with vengeful and cynical hearts, corrupting and destroying the reputations of the innocent with their cruel games.A witty, decadent and darkly seductive peep into the wicked world of two ruthless aristos.Book now or heads will roll.

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FROM THE PROGRAMME

 

ABOUT THE PLAY

Les Liaisons Dangereuses ( Dangerous Liaisons), written in 1782 by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos is one of the finest examples of the epistolary novel - a novel composed entirely of letters written by various characters to each other.

Laclos intended his novel to reflect the state of eighteenth century French female education and its moral consequences, and it is also a morality tale about the corrupt, squalid nobility of the Ancien Régime. We are witness to the decadence of the aristocracy prior to the French Revolution.

Christopher Hampton’s play, adapted from the novel, explores these themes and condenses the sprawling scope of the novel into a refined narrative while remaining faithful to its concerns. He focuses on the power struggles between the devious and intelligent protagonists (Merteuil and Valmont) and the sexual manipulation, humiliation and degradation they inflict on others.

Approaching this play Midland Players  realised, despite its eighteenth century setting, how thoroughly modern this play is. Recognising the deception and self-deception inherent in the principal characters and the mutual domination they wish to exert, we found these themes could have transposed easily into a present day setting.

The language proved an exciting challenge for the actors. We found the words formal - directly referencing the novel. They hide the real emotions of the characters, as this is the language of high society steeped in etiquette - formalised and refined. This proved a real challenge - finding the subtleties of emotion; deciding on the right intonation and expression; knowing when to let a character’s emotional guard down; suppressing and expressing the action through language; making the still chambers of a confined society pulse with intrigue.

La vengence est un plat qui se mange froid

( Revenge is a dish best served cold )

 

Dangerous Liaisons is a dish that burns like ice.

 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, who was born in Armiens on October 18th 1741, was not only a novelist but also an inventor and eventually a general serving in Napoleon’s army. He had previously published only poetry and a comic opera when he began this classic tale of seduction, revenge and human malice while garrisoned at Île-d'Aix, off the west coast of France.

He was on the island to help supervise the rebuilding of the fortifications which had been severely damaged during the Seven Years War about 20 years earlier. (20 years after the rebuilding, the region’s fortifications were extended further by the construction nearby of Fort Boyard now  famous as the base for the TV game show).

Laclos continued to work on the novel during periods of extended leave in Paris. On its publication it was an immediate but scandalous success.

By the time the Revolution began in 1789 Laclos was on the staff of the Duc d’ Orléans. He was arrested twice and fully expected to be guillotined. However he was released and was eventually rehabilitated back into the army as an artillery general. He died in 1803 in Italy.

 

 

 

 

The Flyer  

Midland Players Amateur Dramatic Society, Sheffield, UK