The characters who inhabit Laclos' famous 18th century novel are icy and dangerous. They alleviate the boredom of their over-comfortable Ancien Regime existences by using their wit, intelligence and power to play games with the lives of others. The fact that the consequences of these games may extend to ruin and death means nothing until it becomes their own. Baudelaire said of the novel at the time "If this book burns it is only in the manner of ice" and Christopher Hampton who wrote this award winning adaptation for the RSC in 1985 described it as "the best sex education any boy could have".

The play tells the story of the Marquise de Merteuil and her ex-lover the Vicomte de Valmont and their plans to destroy the reputation of fifteen year old Cecile de Volange in revenge against her husband-to-be, with whom they both hold grudges. Valmont initially considers the de-flowering of Cecile to be a job too easy for him to bother with and sets himself the task of seducing the married and famously virtuous Presidente de Tourvel. Complications arise however in the form of a young suitor for Cecile and the inconvenient circumstance that Valmont may be beginning to fall in love with his prey, the lovely Presidente.

Our production at SLT will be directed by Anton Krause and Penelope Beaumont (who played the role of the Marquise de Merteuil in the West End for the RSC in 1989 - view program), designed by Alan Buckman and features fight direction by Clive Russell. Watch this space for photos, news and updates as the rehearsal period proceeds.