French officer Pierre Choderlos de Laclos (1741–1803) wrote a novel Les Liaisons dangereuses to create a narrative that would stand out from the ordinary, cause a scandal, and would remain on Earth even after his death. He seems to have succeeded. For the first time published in 1782, the four-volume book was a lucky success and since then it has inspired many plays and films. The novel is written in the form of letters and tells about Baroque French aristocrats living in luxury and endless boredom. The liberal philosophy of Laclos and the ambiguous moral tone of the novel reflect the mood of France at the dawn of the revolution. While at the time of its publication the book was scandalized, nowadays it has been screened more than 10 times and attracted the attention of the world’s theatregoers. In 1985 based on the novel, Christopher Hampton wrote a play Dangerous Links, which became the literary basis for this performance.

It is a story of passion, manipulation, hypocrisy, and devastating relationships of true love, a story about moral decline and fornication. The two aristocrats Marquis de Merteuil and Vicomte de Valmont begin a sophisticated game of seduction and manipulation to enliven their boring existence. Innocent people become the tools of their game. In order to avenge her lover, who betrayed her, Marquis de Merteuil incites Vicomte de Valmont to seduce his fiancée. However, for Valmont, a professional Casanova, a young and innocent girl is the easiest task. His target Dora is a religious married woman. To conquer such a fortress is a challenge for any experienced womanizer. They are like a pair of gamers, who ignore their feelings and only focus on their own rules of the game, which turns the surrounding people into useful or unnecessary cards. When the intrigues of cynics entwine, and the reaction of victims brings unexpected results, it becomes evident that the endgame will be much serious and brutal than anticipated.

Premiere – 2019 March 28, 29 and 31.