Education Resources Pre‐Production Sydney Theatre Company and UBS Investment Bank present Les Liaisons Dangereuses By Christopher Hampton From the Novel By Choderlos de Laclos PRE‐PRODUCTION RESOURCES About Sydney Theatre Company 2 About STC Ed 2 Creative Team and Cast 2 Themes 2 Synopsis 3‐6 Historical and social background 7‐8 Additional Resources 9 PRE‐PRODUCTION EXERCISES Liberty & Enlightenment 10‐11 Letters of Love & Revenge 12‐13 Video Stills by Sam Taylor‐Wood Sex Wars 14‐16 Education Resource written by Kerreen Ely‐Harper and compiled by Education Coordinator Toni Murphy KEY AIM of exercise or section Extension Exercises Download and watch + Drama Exercises English Exercises Play online LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Sydney Theatre Company Education Resources 2012 © Copyright protects this Education Resource. Except for purposes permitted by the Copyright Act, reproduction by whatever means is prohibited. However, limited photocopying for classroom use only is permitted by educational institutions. PRE‐PRODUCTION RESOURCES ABOUT SYDNEY THEATRE COMPANY www.sydneytheatre.com.au/about ABOUT STCED www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced/about/us CREATIVE TEAM “ VALMONT I thought Director – Sam Strong betrayal was your favourite Set Designer – Dale Ferguson word. Costume Designer – Mel Page MERTEUIL No, no, cruelty. Lighting Designer – Hartley T A Kemp Act 1, Scene 1 Composer – Alan John Les Liaisons Dangereuses Sound Designer – Steve Francis ” CAST La Presidente de Tourvel – Justine Clarke Major‐domo/Azolan – TJ Power Cecile Volanges – Geraldine Hakewill La Marquise de Merteuil – Pamela Rabe Mme de Rosemonde – Jane Harders Emilie – Ashley Ricardo Le Chavalier Danceny – James Mackay Le Vicomte de Valmont – Hugo Weaving Mme de Volanges – Heather Mitchell THEMES Historical Drama Morality & Power Adaptation Social Relationships LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Sydney Theatre Company Pre‐Production Education Resources 2012 www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced © Sydney Theatre Company SYNOPSIS Act One Warm August evening. A salon in the Paris hotel of Mme la Marquise de Merteuil. Fifteen year old CECILE is adjusting to her new life in the outside world having just left the convent where she was being educated. She is watching her mother, MME DE VOLANGES, a widow play cards in the Salon of her mother’s cousin widower, MME LA MARQUISE DE MERTEUIL. Volanges is protective of her daughter and expresses concern when Merteuil wants to introduce her to her former lover, the charming but notorious, LE VICOMTE DE VALMONT When Volanges and Cécile leave Merteuil asks Valmont to help her settle a score with the COMTE DE GERCOURT who is planning to marry Cécile. Gercourt is a former lover of Merteuil who left her for one of Valmont’s mistresses. Merteuil’s current lover, Belleroche has recently also left her. She wants Valmont to seduce Cecile to take revenge on Gercourt for his unfaithfulness. But Valmont is not interested and more keen on seducing the moral and strictly religious MADAME DE TOURVEL, the wife of a magistrate. Tourvel is currently living with MME DE ROSEMONDE, Valmont’s aunt while her husband is away presiding over a court case. Merteuil then changes tact and promises Valmont if he seduces Madame de Tourvel with “written proof” she will agree to have sex with him. A few weeks later Valmont is at his aunt’s chateau in the country. He interviews his valet, AZOLAN who runs errands, spies and reports on who is doing what and where. Valmont begins his seduction of Tourvel, who terrified by his advances refuses his attentions. He continues his sexual liaisons with EMILIE, a courtesan, while he writes his first love letter to Tourvel. Returning to Paris, he reports back to Merteuil on his lack of progress in seducing Tourvel. Merteuil feels he has made a ‘tactical error’ by not forcing himself on her , implying he should have raped her. Valmont defends himself saying he didn’t want to be caught by his aunt. Valmont is furious when he learns that Volanges has been writing to Tourvel telling her what a vile “pervert” he is. Wanting revenge he is now willing to help Merteuil ruin Cécile’s LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Sydney Theatre Company Pre‐Production Education Resources 2012 www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced © Sydney Theatre Company reputation. Merteuil tells him that Cécile and her music tutor LE CHEVALIER DANCENY have fallen in love. Merteuil and Valmont plan to trick the lovers into entrusting the secret of their affair with them. Valmont promises to carry and exchange their love letters. When Mme de Volanges makes another visit to Merteuil, she says Cécile has formed a ‘dangerous liaison’ with the penniless Danceny. Distraught Volanges thanks Merteuil for informing her. As Volanges leaves, Valmont comes out of hiding and the two are jubilant their plotting is going so well. He makes a sexual advance toward her but she refuses, reminding him of their agreement for his seduction of Tourvel to be in writing. A week later at Mme de Rosemonde’s, Valmont forces Cécile to submit to his sexual advances bargaining he will agree to pass on Danceny’s letters and not tell her mother. When Cécile seeks Merteuil’s advice, she tells her to “continue your instruction” with Valmont. Volanges is worried about Cécile’s poor health and believes she may have been wrong to not have allowed her to see Danceny. Merteuil manages to talk her out of it. Cécile soon becomes Valmont’s consenting lover. Tourvel becomes overcome with distress at Valmont’s pursuit of her and she collapses into an epileptic convulsion in his arms. Tourvel tells Mme de Rosemonde that she must leave her house because of being now “desperately in love” with Valmont. Act Two Late October, Paris Azolan reports to Valmont with two letters. Valmont is cross with him for not letting him know of Tourvel’s departure. An unsuspecting Danceny thanks Valmont for “keeping our love alive”. Valmont tells Merteuil that he has met his part of the bargain with seducing Cecile. But she will not submit to his demand for sex until he conquers Tourvel. He returns again to Tourvel and finally seduces her. When he reports back to Merteuil, she becomes jealous and tells him she has a new lover but does not reveal who it is. When he leaves Danceny comes out of his hiding place. LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Sydney Theatre Company Pre‐Production Education Resources 2012 www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced © Sydney Theatre Company Valmont is with Emilie when he crosses paths with Tourvel in a Paris salon. Recognising she is a prostitute, Tourvel becomes distressed and tries to leave the room. He manages to get her to calm down and accept his explanation of Emilie as a casual acquaintance who donates large amounts of her earnings to charity and does some secretarial work for him and nothing more. Valmont visits Merteuil and finds Danceny is with her. Valmont tells him Cécile has returned to Paris to be with him but has not been able to find him and is now very ill. On hearing this Danceny becomes instantly concerned. Merteuil asks him to leave her and Valmont alone as they need to discuss a matter in private. Valmont mocks her choice of Danceny as a lover. She says she is completely satisfied, causing Valmont to collapse into a wounded silence. When she asks him if Cécile is really ill he tells her Cécile has had a miscarriage after a night of rough sex with him. She invites him to visit her again in a week and inadvertently tells him if he leaves Tourvel she will fulfill her promise of spending the night with him. Valmont visits Tourvel for the last time and tells her that he is in love with another woman and cannot continue a relationship with her. She becomes hysterical and collapses into inconsolable grief. When he meets again with Merteuil he expects her to meet her part of the bargain. She tells him she knew he really loved Tourvel and that she tricked him into giving up the opportunity for true happiness for vanity. In retaliation he reveals that he has co‐ordinated Danceny to reunite with Cécile, leaving Merteuil abandoned and alone again. He reiterates his demand for sex, which she again refuses. She declares war on him and in revenge reveals to Danceny that Valmont has seduced Cécile. Danceny and Valmont duel, and Valmont is wounded. Refusing a surgeon he makes amends with Danceny by warning him of Merteuil's involvement in the plan to betray Cécile. On learning of Valmont's death Tourvel dies of “delirium”. Volanges worried about Cécile’s welfare considers allowing her to be re‐united with Danceny rather than sending her back to the convent. But Merteuil fearing Danceny would reveal her part in the deaths to Volanges advises her to return Cécile to the safety and silence of the convent. LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Sydney Theatre Company Pre‐Production Education Resources 2012 www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced © Sydney Theatre Company Consider Desire is maintained through dissatisfaction Keep your friends close and your enemies closer Merteuil is a psychopath Sociopaths have no heart, no conscience, no remorse LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES Sydney Theatre Company Pre‐Production Education Resources 2012 www.sydneytheatre.com.au/stced © Sydney Theatre Company HISTORICAL AND SOCIAL BACKGROUND OF THE PLAY I am not surprised that a son of Monsieur de Choderlos should write so well. Wit is hereditary in his family. But I cannot commend him for employing his talents, his invention and his elegant pen to furnish foreigners with so appalling a notion of the manners of his nation and of taste of his compatriots Mme Riccoboni April, 1782 Within two weeks of its publication Les Liaisons Dangereuses had sold over two thousand copies.