As the celebrated playwright and screenwriter Christopher Hampton celebrates his 80th birthday, his most iconic theatrical work is set for a major revival. Les Liaisons Dangereuses, Hampton's razor-sharp adaptation of the 18th-century French novel, will return to the stage at London's National Theatre this spring, running from 21 March to 6 June.
The Quiet Man with a Passion for Power
Often described as the quiet man of British theatre, especially when compared to more vocal contemporaries like David Hare, Hampton's work is defined by classical virtues: objectivity, lucidity, and a piercing irony. Yet beneath this composed exterior lies a writer of considerable passion, particularly when it comes to the mechanics of political power.
This private fervour was memorably displayed in November 1990. Hampton arrived in Cairo, bursting with news of Margaret Thatcher's impending downfall following Geoffrey Howe's devastating Commons attack. The incident revealed a man deeply engaged with the political tumult that so often fuels his dramas.
Radicals vs Realists: The Core of Hampton's Drama
Hampton himself has noted a lifelong fascination with the tension between radicals and liberals, a conflict he explores repeatedly. His original plays are, at heart, intensely political. This dynamic frequently manifests as a compelling struggle between two male figures, reminiscent of Peter Shaffer's work but distinct in its focus.
In Total Eclipse, written when Hampton was in his early twenties, he pit the wild genius of Arthur Rimbaud against the cautious orthodoxy of Paul Verlaine. His breakthrough hit, The Philanthropist (1970), contrasted an amiable academic with a brutally pragmatic novelist. This balance of sympathy shifts from play to play. In Savages (1973), which confronted the genocide of Brazil's Indigenous peoples, the revolutionary character commanded more authorial investment than the kidnapped British diplomat.
Complex Women and a Masterpiece Reborn
While male conflicts are central, it is a mistake to think Hampton's female characters are subordinate. Plays like Treats and The Talking Cure feature nuanced, powerful women who arbitrate between men or shape intellectual battles, as with the portrait of Sabina Spielrein in the latter.
This skill for creating formidable female roles culminates in Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Premiering in an acclaimed Royal Shakespeare Company production in 1985, starring Alan Rickman and Juliet Stevenson, the play is far more than a simple adaptation. It is a radical reinvention of the epistolary novel, transforming it into a chilling and elegant drama of seduction and revenge.
The play gifts the stage with one of its most coldly demonic figures in the Marquise de Merteuil, and ultimately reveals how the calculated mathematics of seduction can be overthrown by genuine emotion. As a new generation of actors, including Lesley Manville and Aidan Turner, prepare to take on these legendary roles at the National, the production reaffirms the play's status as perhaps Hampton's masterpiece.
As he enters his ninth decade, Christopher Hampton, the classical survivor, continues to see his work resonate. The revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses is a potent reminder of his unique ability to dissect the passions and power plays that define the human condition, ensuring his place as a durable and essential voice in world theatre.
