Dangerous Liaisons

As Queensland Ballet’s new artistic director, Ivan Gil-Ortega, prepares to announce his plans for 2026, the current season at the Thomas Dixon Centre is coming to a curtain call. This year the adult ballet productions that started in March with Kenneth MacMillan's Romeo & Juliet will be bookended with another unconventional love story – the highly anticipated, erotically charged Dangerous Liaisons. This opulent ballet is a co-production between Queensland Ballet and Texas Ballet Theater, and brings British choreographer (and former Queensland Ballet Artistic Associate) Liam Scarlett’s decadent vision to the stage for Brisbane audiences. Many of the group’s current dancers were involved with Liam’s original development of this work, so there is a real sense of connection and commitment from the cast to deliver his vision in pristine condition (with involvement from Laura Morera, artistic supervisor of the Scarlett Estate).

When Walter Scott wrote “What a tangled web we weave, when first we practice to deceive …”, he could have been speaking of the main characters in Pierre Choderlos de Laclos’s turn-of-the-century Parisian novel, Les Liaisons Dangereuses. Of course, if you are familiar with that original story, or the 1980’s stage and film adaptions by Christopher Hampton, you will know that the romantic tangle is orchestrated by the manipulative Marquise de Merteuil (Victorian-born Heidi Freeman) and her lover the Vicomte de Valmont (Brisbane’s own D’Arcy Brazier). Into their web of intrigue they lure the innocent Cecile Volanges (Libby-Rose Niederer) who is engaged to the dubious Comte de Gercourt (Clayton Forsyth), but secretly falling for the dashing Chevalier Danceny (Russian born and trained Ivan Surodeev), and a potential lover for Valmont, the enigmatic Madame de Tourvel (Gold Coast and Brisbane trained Chiara Gonzalez). Many love letters are exchanged, delivered with a flourish by the valet Azolan (Newcastle-born Joshua Ostermann), and expertly intercepted along their route. The work is ingenius in conveying such a wordy story using music, movement and dance.

The choreography uses broad brush strokes married with detailed intricacies to delineate each character and highlight their traits – from the shyness of the virginal Cecile to the cavalier confidence of Valmont! And the costumes by Tracy Grant Lord follow suit, made from rich and opulent velvets and sheer silks and satins in rich mulled hues with detailed embroidery, fine filigree and metal fasteners. The courtesan scene’s lingerie is sheer Belle Époque.

The roles are physically demanding and there are four sets of lead performers. I wish I could see this production four times to see them all, but the cast I saw on 7 October were outstanding. As Marquise de Merteuil, Heidi Freeman owns the stage. She effortlessly portrays Merteuil’s despicable power and sexual prowess. D’Arcy Brazier’s Valmont has a silent film star’s seething sexuality and expressive acting – from grimaces at the older ladies, to dismissive sighs concealing deeper feelings, his Valmont commands attention. Libby-Rose Niederer’s innocent Cecile is a perfect white rose, and she expertly conveys her burgeoning feelings for her charming piano teacher, Chevalier Danceny – a strong performance by Ivan Surodeev as another innocent tainted by Valmont’s influence. As Madame de Tourvel, Chiara Gonzalez stands out as Valmont’s true love interest.

Strong supporting roles were played by many Queensland Ballet Academy alumni, including Edison Manuel making his debut as Company soloist, tackling the challenging Valmont himself! Queensland Ballet Academy Senior and Pre-Professional Program alum, Joshua Ostermann, and Australian Ballet School and Queensland Ballet Jett Parker Young Artist grad, Clayton Forsyth, were brilliant in their diverse roles – the spritely Azolan contrasting with the malevolent Gercourt.

The music by Camille Saint-Saëns is perfect for this tale of desire and deceit, lust and lies, as arranged by Martin Yates and recorded by Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. The themes are aided by Kendall Smith’s evocative lighting design, helping to create a Paris salon, a courtesan’s den, and the estate’s grand rooms. Tracy Grant Lord’s sets are like a house of cards with folding doors and secret passages that envelope the characters or open to reveal a house of ill-repute, and they play their part in revealing the many intercepted letters between Valmont and Merteuil.

The advantage of the Thomas Dixon Centre’s Talbot Theatre is that you can get closer to the performers than you usually would at other large theatres in Brisbane, and so see all that detailed work on the costumes and appreciate each dancer’s skill at acting as well as dancing. You can explore the show with a wonderful collection of character summaries and videos, and audience engagement events on the Queensland Ballet website, where you can also check the cast list for your particular performance.

Beth Keehn

Find out more: www.queenslandballet.com.au/performances/2025/dangerous-liaisons

Photographs: Queensland Ballet