Les Liaisons Dangereuses Opening Date 2 March 2010 Closing Date 24 April 2010 Time Monday - Saturday at 7.30pm Saturday Matinees at 2.30pm Director Michael Barker-Caven Writer Christopher Hampton Cast Fiona Bell, Deirdre Donnelly, Nick Dunning, Adam Fergus, Susan Fitzgerald, Martin Maguire, Jane McGrath, Paul Reid, Maria Tecce, Catherine Walker, Elliot Moriarty Ticket Price €15 - €35 Venue The Gate Theatre Cavendish Row Parnell Square Dublin 1 Phone (01) 874 4045/ (01) 874 6042

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Perilous playing.

There can be no truer testament to a novel's quality than longevity. Written in 1782 by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos, Les Liaisons Dangereuses, has been retold, reworked and reframed on both stage and screen since it first crossed hands during the heady, decadent days of the ancien regime. Marie Antoinette herself was even reported to have been a fan of this sumptuous morality tale of seduction, revenge and betrayal. In more recent times, we owe current adaptations of the feted novel to playwright and screenwriter extraordinaire Christopher Hampton whose theatrical adjustment of the original work has been the template for The Gate Theatre's latest production.

The story, in brief, is as follows: the beautiful Marquise de Merteuil (Fiona Bell) proposes a scheme to her errant partner the Vicomte de Valmont (Nick Dunning) to seduce the innocent Cecile (Jane McGrath)-young daughter of her cousin Madame de Volanges (Susan Fitzgerald)- in order to avenge a former lover who is Cecile's intended husband. At first Valmont refuses the proposition, preferring instead to focus all his attention on ensnaring the wholesome, beguiling Madame de Tourvel (Catherine Walker) who is staying at his aunt's house while her husband is abroad. However, upon hearing that his name has been sullied and his debauched lifestyle laid bare in letters to Mme. de Tourvel from Mme. de Volange, he assents to Merteuil's plans. Taking advantage of the fact that young Cecile is in love with her penniless music teacher the Chevalier Dancery (Paul Reid), the perverse twosome weave a sordid tale where sex is used almost as a weapon to humiliate and degrade those unfortunates who find themselves caught up in the merciless undertakings.

I have come to expect great things from The Gate. No matter the difference in casting, production or direction, I have on the whole-at least from their more recent theatrical endeavours-bathed their plays in a positive light. It might have something to do with the impressive stucco work or the sparkling chandeliers which fickle as it seems, appear to imbue their productions with a kind of majesty so that in my mind at least, the association is 'Well if it's run by The Gate then it must be good'. I am totally aware however that this is utter nonsense and in conscious thought at least, the adornment of a room should not in any way be used as a rule of thumb for deciding the quality of a theatrical piece....Therefore I approached Les Liaisons Dangereuses, directed by Michael Barker-Caven, with the same open mind that I usually take elsewhere and horror of horrors, I came away disappointed. It is hard to pinpoint exactly what felt wrong about this play and on further thought, I realised it was more a culmination of factors. Nick Dunning, a RADA trained Irish actor, is usually excellent but here he is more than a little unconvincing as the devilish rogue Valmont. Perhaps it's because I am used to seeing him play the bad guy without any disguise that the idea of him being a bad guy hidden behind a charming, smooth-talking exterior is discomfiting. His sly looks and witty banter with Merteuil is oftentimes quite funny but it is when he is cast as the seducer that things ring false. The heaving-bosomed Merteuil is played wonderfully by Fiona Bell but the female cast is let down by Catherine Walker, whose over-gesticulating take on Mme. de Tourvel is irritating to say the least. It is I imagine nigh impossible to act the part of the virtuous do-gooder as it's a quality that one must just exude not perform, and as such, in my mind Walker was miscast. The production does succeed however in pitching an atmosphere of decadent sumptuousness and languor. This is due both to the damask covered walls and beautiful French furniture coupled with the near-naked figure of Valmont's mistress (Maria Tecce) and their giddy, rambunctious encounters. Used as we are to the fitting comeuppance that befalls the main villain in both the 1988 film Dangerous Liaisons and 1999's Cruel Intentions, it is  perhaps a shame that in The Gate's version exposure is merely hinted at in the final moments. Thus as the curtain falls and the half-hearted claps ring in our ears, we resignedly file out of the rich burgundy-coloured rows, edging our way past the framed black and white photographs of memorable performances and out into the cold air and neon lights of O'Connell Street wondering what might have been....

- Louisa McElwee