Fresh telling of Hampton's classic is in safe hands

Published on Monday 9 June 2008 10:36

Les Liaisons Dangereuses *** Adam House Theatre

BRAVE and dark with more than a hint of the erotic this is a thoroughly satisfying production of Les Liaisons Dangereuses from local amateur company the Grads.

Boldly moving Christopher Hampton's script from pre-revolutionary France to 1936, the company succeed in retaining the sense of the Parisian aristocracy on the brink of destruction.

Indeed the move helps matters for the company by simplifying the costumes and set, while all the elements of an idle elite – seducing and betraying each other just for the thrill of the chase or to satisfy some supposed slight – remain intact.

If there is a certain unevenness to the performances, director David Grimes ensures that his cast are spot on when it counts.

Alex Lambert is a particularly vicious Marquise de Merteuil, ruthless in the destruction of her ex-lover, the Vicomte de Valmont (Matt Davies).

They need to revel in their barbed exchanges right from the start – the setting up of the plot is a bit too muted – but once they begin enjoying themselves the atmosphere bristles with tension.

Supporting actresses Claire Wood, as the upright Madame de Tourvel, and Fiona Arnott, as the convent-educated innocent Cecile Volanges, both ensure that their seductions by Valmont are believable.

Crucially, the scenes where purity turns to infatuation or uninhibited passion are humorously and delicately played out.

The play's numerous scene changes, although relatively well accommodated, do require a more elegant solution to their execution.

But the level of passion generated by the company on stage demands that they think seriously about finding a way to revive the production.

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