Keira Knightley is set to lead a new West End adaptation of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others.
Adapted and directed by Rockert Icke at London’s Adelphi Theatre, the Pride and Prejudice and Pirates of the Caribbean actress will be joined by Game of Thrones star Stephen Dillane and Bridgerton‘s Luke Thompson.
From Sonia Friedman Productions, the stage show — also boasting an original score by Hamnet composer Max Richter — will premiere on Oct. 29 this year, running until Jan. 9, 2027.
“1984. East Germany,” begins a plot synopsis. “A writer and an actor are placed under state surveillance. From the attic above their apartment, their Stasi man listens for evidence of subversion. But to observe a life is to risk changing your own.”
The production sees Icke and Friedman renew their creative partnership following their work on plays including Oedipus, Manhunt, Hamlet, The Doctor, Oresteia, and 1984. Knightley and Friedman re-team after working on 2011’s The Children’s Hour.
Henckel von Donnersmarck’s 2006 German-language film stormed the subsequent awards season, including at the Oscars, BAFTAs, Caesars, and Independent Spirit Awards. It starred Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, and Ulrich Tukur.
“I’ve been obsessed with The Lives of Others ever since I first saw it,” said Friedman. “Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s exquisite, haunting, and completely masterful film, and there is no one better than Robert Icke to bring this to life onstage. He has this rare ability to combine huge ideas with real emotional truth, and I know he and the company will find a way to realise it that feels both unexpected and completely thrilling.”
“To have a company led by Keira Knightley, Stephen Dillane and Luke Thompson at the Adelphi Theatre this autumn makes it all the more special,” she added.
