Monica Barbaro Debuts in Liaisons at National Theatre
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- Monica Barbaro is making her stage debut as Madame de Tourvel in the National Theatre’s revival of Les Liaisons Dangereuses.
- Monica Barbaro earned an Oscar nomination for her portrayal of Joan Baez in James Mangold’s Bob Dylan biopic A Complete Unknown.
- Monica Barbaro studied Baez’s voice, learned guitar, wore prosthetic teeth, and later met Baez in San Francisco, describing the encounter as trippy.
- Marianne Elliott directs the production, collaborating with playwright Christopher Hampton to foreground women’s perspectives in the adaptation.
- Les Liaisons Dangereuses explores power, systemic abuse, and corruption, which Barbaro links to contemporary scandals such as the Epstein files.
- Barbaro highlights her mixed heritage (quarter Mexican) and sees a personal connection to Baez’s dual identity, influencing her portrayal of Tourvel.
- Barbaro previously appeared in Top Gun: Maverick and the film Artificial about OpenAI, showing a career spanning blockbuster cinema and now classic theatre.
Why it matters: Barbaro’s move from screen to the National Theatre broadens her artistic range and brings a fresh, culturally resonant voice to a classic play that reexamines power and abuse, offering audiences a contemporary lens on an 18th‑century story while highlighting the importance of diverse representation on stage.
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