Binoche, an arthouse darling, appeared in Cosmopolis alongside Robert Pattinson earlier this year. True to form, she's also filmed a couple of movies that aren't likely to see a wide release. But from tonight, the Parisian actress will take the lead in a new production of August Stringberg's 1888 play, Miss Julie. It's at the suitably highfalutin Barbican in London, and it's entirely in French.

Sacré bleu! Mais pourquoi?

If your grasp of French only extends to "Le bill, s'il vous plaît" – or the foolproof method of shouting English at volumes "loud" and "louder" – it could prove difficult. It's 120 full-on minutes of French without interval (no glace à la vanille for you). Thankfully, there are surtitles, and if you're not that into reading you can marvel at the costumes, designed by Lanvin's Alber Elbaz.

What a relief! And what's it about?

Mademoiselle Julie is about an upper-class woman who dares to fall in love with a servant, but this new production takes place in the present day. In other words, it's perfect Binoche fodder. But beware, her last theatre role in Britain, in dance show In-I, got a pasting from critics.