Glamourous and sexy 'Liaisons'

THEATRE

"Les Liaisons Dangereuses"

By Christopher Hampton, directed by Duncan Driver, at Theatre 3 until October 3.

Reviewed by Helen Musa

WHAT a nasty, vicious piece of work Christopher Hampton's "Les Liaisons Dangereuses" is. Oddly, it opened in the same week as two other wordy modern English plays - "Amadeus" at the Playhouse and a first-rate interpretation of "The History Boys" at the ANU by Tony Turner - all lengthy and all demanding high concentration.

Glamorous and sexy, "Les Liaisons" exposes the vices and cruelty of the French aristocracy.

While the production on a stylish set by Ian Croker throws up effective vignettes by Lexi Sekuless, as the apparently naäve Cecile, and Adrian Flor as the romantic Chevalier Danceny, the focus alights on three key characters, the Vicomte de Valmont (Duncan Ley), the Marquise de Merteuil (Hannah Ley) and Madame de Tourvel (Helen McFarlane).

The relationship between Valmont and Tourvel is convincingly contrasted and realised by Ley and McFarlane, saving the play from total cynicism. But the evening undoubtedly belongs to Hannah Ley as the manipulative Marquise, who imagines she knows how to play all the cards. Her subtle, understated performance could grace a stage anywhere.