LONDON- The Ambassador Theatre Group is proud to announce the first major London stage production of Christopher Hampton’s award-winning play Les Liaisons Dangereuses since its debut in 1985. Featuring Jared Harris, star of the films Sylvia (opposite Gwyneth Paltrow), Igby Goes Down, I Shot Andy Warhol and Smoke, Mr. Harris appears as ‘Le Vicomte de Valmont’, stepping into the role made famous by John Malkovich. Les Liaisons Dangereuses first opened at The Other Place in Stratford in 1985, before moving to the Barbican and then opening in the autumn of 1986 at the Ambassadors Theatre for a run of nearly 2,000 performances. The play was a huge hit on Broadway and was subsequently filmed, with a cast headed by Glenn Close, John Malkovich and Michelle Pfeiffer. Mr. Harris is represented by Paradigm, Vanessa Pereira of Artists Independent and Brad Schenck at Thruline Entertainment.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses
The West End production will take place in London at the Playhouse Theatre on Friday, 12 December 2003, following previews will began on Wednesday, 3 December 2003. Performance times are Mondays-Saturdays at 7.30pm, with Wednesday and Saturday matinees at 2.30pm. Tickets, priced from £8.00 to £40.00, are available from the Playhouse Theatre Box Office on 020 7369 1785. Workhouse Publicity is now scheduling interviews with Jared Harris based on his availability. Press please contact Workhouse Publicity, CEO Adam Nelson by phone 212. 334. 8006 or via email nelson@workhousepr.com.

Featuring Polly Walker, star of Control (opposite Willem Dafoe, now in post-production), Patriot Games, Restoration, Sliver, Emma and Enchanted April who will play ‘La Marquise de Merteuil’. Emilia Fox, star of numerous films and television series including Rebecca and The Pianist stars as ‘La Présidente de Tourvel’; Jeremy Edwards, star of Hollyoaks and Holby City appears as ‘Azolan’; Dilys Laye, who has worked extensively with the RSC and in many television series plays 'Madame de Rosemonde'; Olivia Llewellyn, fresh out of LAMDA, makes her West End debut as ‘Cécile Volanges’; Sean Oliver plays ‘Major Domo’; Laurence Penry-Jones, star of Doctors, The Forsyte Saga, Midsomer Murder and A Life in the Theatre plays ‘Danceny’; Sarah Woodward, star of West End productions of The Real Thing and Wild Oats and 1997 Olivier Award-winning actress for Tom and Clem, plays ‘Madame de Volanges’. Les Liaisons Dangereuses will be directed by Tim Fywell, making his return to the West End after directing films and television including I Capture the Castle, Woman in White, Madam Bovary and Cambridge Spies. Fywell’s previous theatre directing includes Skirmishes (Hampstead), Red Saturday (Royal Court) and Hitting Town (Bush). The set design will be by Robert Innes-Hopkins.

Les Liaisons Dangereuses will be produced by Howard Panter for the Ambassador Theatre Group and marks the return to theatre producing of David Parfitt for Trademark Theatre Company. Trademark Theatre Company is a new company formed from David’s film company Trademark Films. David is a prolific U.K. film producer whose films include Shakespeare in Love, Wings of a Dove, The Madness of King George and I Capture the Castle. David also produced several plays and films with Kenneth Branagh’s Renaissance Company. The play is also produced by Matthew Mitchell Ltd.

Jared Harris
A performer whose on-screen intensity is rivaled only by his off-screen charisma, Jared Harris is one of the most acclaimed actors of his generation. Harris stars in a slew of upcoming features including Adam Goldberg’s I Love Your Work with Giovanni Ribisi, Franka Potente, Christina Ricci and Elvis Costello, Sylvia starring Gwyneth Paltrow, Resident Evil: Apocalypse and Dummy opposite Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Milla Jovovich. In terms of uncompromising preparation, Harris is unmatched. He’s won critical recognition for his riveting portrayal of influential American Pop artist Andy Warhol in the acclaimed I Shot Andy Warhol for which in true Warhol fashion, Harris entered the audition with a video camera and taped the casting director while his own audition was being recorded. Harris has earned an unparallel reputation for playing varied and unique characters including an intellectually-challenged street cleaner in Wayne Wang and Paul Auster’s Smoke and Blue in the Face, a truculent fur trapper in Jim Jarmusch’s Dead Man, Tom Cruise’s boozing, n’er-do-well brother in Far and Away and a sleazy Russian cab driver in Todd Solondz’s Happiness for which the cast received the 1999 National Board of Review Acting Ensemble Award as well as the gripping feature Sunday which won the Grand Jury Prize for Best film and screenplay at the 1997 Sundance Film Festival. Harris’ first screen appearance was in 1989’s The Rachel Papers which was the directorial debut of his older brother Damian. A career marked by unilateral recognition, Harris received rave reviews for his character portrayals including his Henry VIII in the improvised production of The Other Boleyn Girl for BBC2. Salon.com said “Harris puts a chill around your heart” regarding his portrayal of John Lennon opposite Adian Quinn’s Paul McCartney in Michael Lindsay-Hogg’s Two of Us and Anita Gates of the New York Times said “Jared Harris is becoming one of the most fascinating actors around” citing his performance in Michael Radford’s B. Monkey opposite Asia Argento and co-starred in Igby Goes Down written and directed by Burr Steers with Kieran Culkin, Claire Danes and Jeff Goldblum. The son of famed Irish actor Richard Harris, Jared was born in London, England and educated at Duke University where he majored in drama and literature. After graduation, Harris became a member of the the Royal Shakespeare Company. He has performed in some of New York’s most renowned theater company’s including work with the New York Shakespeare company, the New Group, New Jersey Shakespeare Company, the Vineyard Theater and the Manhattan Theater Club.