Les Liaisons Dangereuses review: A deliciously sinful experience

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Dangerous Liaisons is a tale that has been adapted time and time again, from TV mini-series to Korean historical romance film to the '90s cult classic film Cruel Intentions. Now it's time to enjoy another adaptation; the National Theatre revival of Christopher Hampton's 1984 Les Liaisons Dangereuses.

A revival of a classic tale often reveals plenty about the age we're currently living in – so what does this production mean in the year 2026?

Is it a cautionary tale against indulging in lies in the age of post-truth? A commentary on the shallow whims of the ultra-rich? Or is it simply an opportunity to witness the delight of Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner perform a dangerous, sexy tango of words and deceit?

Whatever your interpretation, this much is sure: you are in for a wickedly sumptuous show.

The 2026 National Theatre production, directed by Marianne Elliott, is a show of contrasts, with lavish costumes set against a sparse stage flanked by mirrors. This eerie juxtaposition makes the audience ill at ease, as well as highlighting both vanity and the sense of being unable to escape from yourself.

Hampton's script stays relatively faithful to the original 1782 book Les Liaisons Dangereuses by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos. We focus on the Marquise de Merteuil (Manville) and the Vicomte de Valmont (Turner), two aristocrats and former lovers who place bets and play games based on manipulation and sexual exploits.

What follows are dangerous games of seduction, of both Cécile de Volanges (Hannah van der Westhuysen) and Madame de Tourvel (Monica Barbaro). Tension is rife throughout, with each word of Hampton's script dripping with sensuality and double meaning.

A lot of this tension is beautifully portrayed through movement, with choreographer Tom Jackson Greaves's luscious interpretive sequences, using fluid movement to express anguish and raw sexuality where words fail.

Aidan Turner (Vicomte de Valmont) and Lesley Manville (Marquise de Merteuil) in Les Liaisons Dangereuses at the National Theatre. Sarah Lee

Speaking of raw sexuality, be prepared for Aidan Turner and Lesley Manville to have you blushing and giggling in your seats. Both actors come into their element in portraying these sultry scumbags, with Turner's performance in particular raising plenty of laughs at his tongue-in-cheek duplicitousness.

The chemistry between the pair is more than palpable, as is the chemistry between Turner and each of the many characters he charms into bed as the sleazy yet irresistible Vicomte de Valmont.

It isn't entirely a romp, however. In addition to the play's darker turn in Act Two, Hampton's script, like the original text, has plenty to say about the power imbalance between the sexes, as well as boasting a sharp and scrappy female main character.

While class differences aren't addressed directly, being more of an implicit feature of the tale, costume designer Natalie Roar highlights intense disparity with her eerie maid's costumes. With covered heads and tightly bound arms, the female servants hover like ghosts – an eerie reminder of the revolution that was to come a decade after the original tale was penned.

With an almost three hour run-time (including interval), this is certainly a hefty night at the theatre, but one that you definitely don't want to miss.

Buy Les Liaisons Dangereuses tickets at TodayTix

For more of our thoughts on the latest London shows, check out our Waitress review and Romeo and Juliet review.