The lie

In Florian Zeller's The Lie , a companion piece to his earlier play The Truth , Michel and Laurence are coming for dinner. But Alice has spotted Michel kissing another woman that very afternoon, leaving her with a dilemma. Her husband Paul believes it is better to behave as if nothing has happened; Alice is far from sure. An argument ensues and as their own relationship is held up to scrutiny, the question as to who is being protected and why grows ever more difficult to answer. Translated by Christopher Hampton, The Lie received its English language world premiere at the Menier Chocolate Factory, London, in September 2017.