Downton Abbey star Michelle Dockery will star opposite Dominic West in a stage version of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
The actress, best known for playing Lady Mary Crawley in the ITV period drama, will play Madame de Tourvel while West will portray her would-be seducer Vicomte de Valmont at London’s Donmar Warehouse.
The story, based on an 18th-century French novel, is a tale of sex and power in pre-revolutionary Paris.
It is a revival of Christopher Hampton’s award-winning stage adaptation which provided the basis for the 1988 film version, called Dangerous Liaisons, starring Michelle Pfeiffer, Glenn Close and John Malkovich.
Janet McTeer will play the scheming Marquise de Merteuil – the part played in the film by Close.
The theatre, in Covent Garden, also announced productions including Abi Morgan’s Splendour starring Zawe Ashton and Sinead Cusack.
Artistic director Josie Rourke said it was a season of “strong leading roles for women”.
She said: “On a personal note, I have long wanted to direct Christopher Hampton’s superb Les Liaisons Dangereuses, and the cast we have drawn together is a testament to the brilliance of his play. As well as welcoming Janet McTeer back to the Donmar, I am thrilled that Dominic West will return to our stage in this production.”
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