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In a significant theatrical announcement, Aidan Turner will star alongside Lesley Manville and Monica Barbaro in an eagerly anticipated revival of LES LIAISONS DANGEREUSES at London’s National Theatre. This marks the first time Christopher Hampton’s celebrated adaptation of Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’ scandalous novel will grace the National’s stage, with performances expected to begin in spring 2026.

The production reunites acclaimed director Marianne Elliott with the venue after a nine-year absence, forming a centerpiece of Indhu Rubasingham’s inaugural season as Artistic Director. For Turner, this role represents another prestigious addition to a career that has evolved dramatically since his breakout in POLDARK. The Irish actor has strategically balanced his screen work with challenging stage performances, including his critically lauded turn in Martin McDonagh’s THE LIEUTENANT OF INISHMORE.

Turner will share the stage with BAFTA and Olivier Award-winner Manville, who joins fresh from her triumphant, award-winning performance in OEDIPUS at Wyndham’s Theatre—a production now Broadway-bound. Completing the high-profile casting trio is Barbaro, known for her role in TOP GUN: MAVERICK. The creative team assembling around this production includes set designer Rosanna Vize, costume designer Natalie Roar, movement director Tom Jackson Greaves, lighting designer James Farncombe, and sound designer Ian Dickson.

Elliott’s return to the National, where her previous credits include ANGELS IN AMERICA, THE CURIOUS INCIDENT OF THE DOG IN THE NIGHT-TIME, and co-direction of WAR HORSE, promises to bring fresh perspective to Hampton’s 1985 adaptation, known for its sharp wit, psychological complexity, and themes of manipulation and seduction. While exact dates, further casting details, and ticket information remain forthcoming, the production’s announcement as part of a 16-show season signals Rubasingham’s ambitious artistic vision for one of the world’s leading theatrical institutions.