Retired general Henrik waits, in his Hungarian castle, for the arrival of his long-lost friend Konrad. Thirty years earlier, Konrad had abruptly deserted a hunting party, fleeing Vienna the very next day in mysterious circumstances. Though decades have passed, the memories and questions have remained in Henrik’s mind.

Henrik is played by Jeremy Irons in his first major outing on the London stage since the RSC’s Richard II in 1988. It was in the early 80s that Irons became a household name, starring in both Brideshead Revisited, for television, and The French Lieutenant’s Woman, for film, in 1981. His other film credits include Reversal Of Fortune (for which he won an Oscar), The Lion king, Kingdom Of Heaven and The Merchant Of Venice.

The work of Christopher Hampton has won three Tony awards, two Olivier awards, one Oscar and two BAFTAs. His long list of highly-acclaimed plays includes The Talking Cure, The Philanthropist and Les Liaisons Dangereuses.