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Preview by Paul Nelson
A NEW translation of Les Liaisons Dangereuse, by Dominic
Druce, is to be presented at the Pentameters Theatre by
Compagnie Sublime.
The play is described as a risqué revamp of the French
novel by Pierre Ambroise Francois Choderlos de Laclos, a military
man, who is famous in French literature through this one novel.
The original story deals with Marquise de Montreuil and Vicomte
de Valmont, two people totally incapable of admitting that they
love each other and who spend their lives destroying others.
Madame Montreuil sets Louis Valmont a challenge too tempting
to ignore. A virtuoso of deceit, Valmont captures the hearts of
every honourable woman he meets.
Their downfall comes with an attempt to seduce a young ingénue
and an older woman. The scheme falls apart with Valmont actually
falling in love himself, not with the ingénue but with
the older woman. It is a satisfyingly complex piece.
In a bold and dashing translation, Dangerous Liaisons explores
the delicate balance of love and obsession, duets and duels.
Thirty years after the sexual liberation, Compagnie Sublime tests
the certainty of our sexual values. Just when you thought you
knew everything there was to learn about the opposite sex, here
comes a piece of theatre to tease your imagination…
Compagnie Sublime is a young company who brought Le Jeu de
L'amour et du Hasard (Love is a Game of Chance) to London
from the café theatres of Paris.
Compagnie Sublime grew out of 'Les Rencontres du Lundi Soir'
in Paris during 2000 where cutting edge theatre practitioners
met every Monday to thrash out new and innovative ideas.
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Trained at Central School of Speech and Drama, and at Raymond
Girard and Jacques Le Coq, founders Emily Hobbs and Camilla Mathias
produced and starred in Genet's Les Bonnes and Ionesco's
La Cantatrice Chauvre.
Following the storming of Paris and its environs, the company
set its sights on London. They are fresh and diverse and create
new stage translations of French plays and novels. Dangerous
Liaisons is the second of a planned trilogy of pieces concerning
passion.
Well known as an actor on both screen and stage, Martin Cort
directs this innovative young company.
It is a company of 10, headed by Emily Hobbs and Camilla Mathias
(pictured), and it includes Robert Armes, Rowan Brooks,
Elaine Coxall, Adrian Reilly, Wendy Windle, Tessa Gallagher, Morvern
Macbeth and Leo Faulkner.
This production will be the anniversary production at Pentameters
Theatre, Hampstead, founded in 1968 by Leoné Scott-Matthews.
Now in its 35th year, the theatre is one of the oldest of the
fringe venues in London. It has been and remains a stunning platform
for new writing, classical revivals, poetry readings, musicals
and comedy nights.
Over the years it has been host to many luminaries of the stage,
including: Harold Pinter, Kingsley Amis, Alexi Sayle, Pamela Stevenson,
Nigel Havers, Rik Mayall, French and Saunders; and poets such
as Ted Hughes, Stevie Smith, Stephen Spender, and William Empson.
Dangerous Liaisons will be the show to mark the Pentameters
35th year and to break the champagne bottle over for the next
35 years …
Dangerous Liaisons by de Laclos, in a new translation by Dominic
Druce, Directed by Martin Cort. WITH: Emily Hobbs, Camilla Mathias,
Robert Armes, Rowan Brooks, Elaine Coxall, Adrian Reilly, Wendy
Windle, Tessa Gallagher, Morvern Macbeth and Leo Faulkner. Presented
by Campagnie Sublime at the Pentameters Theatre, The Three Horseshoes,
Heath Road, Hampstead NW3 from May 20 to June 8 at 8pm, Sunday
5pm. Tickets 020 7435 3648
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