Lie, The

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.

Florian Zeller is a French novelist and playwright. He wrote his first novel Artificial Snow when he was twenty-two years old. His third novel, Fascination of Evil which made him a household name in France. The book, which explores the relationship of the West with Islam, caused some controversy. It was selected for the Prix Goncourt. His black comedy, The Father, is one of the outstanding hits of recent years, playing in London's West End to ecstatic five star reviews and won several awards and nominations in Paris, London, and New York. He lives in Paris.