The Lives of Others in the West End: Keira Knightley’s cast, dates, running time and how to get tickets

Keira Knightley is back on a London stage. The Lives of Others, Robert Icke's new adaptation of the Oscar-winning German film, began previews at the Adelphi Theatre on 14 October, and with opening night set for 29 October there is now only a short window before the reviews arrive and the remaining seats start to disappear. Here is what you need to know about the story, the company and how to book before the run ends in January.

What The Lives of Others is about

The play is based on Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's 2006 film Das Leben der Anderen, which won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film and the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language. Like the film, it is set in East Germany in 1984, where a playwright and his partner, an actress, are placed under surveillance by the Stasi. The officer assigned to them listens to their lives from the attic above their flat, searching for evidence of disloyalty, and finds himself drawn ever deeper into the world he is meant to be watching.

Icke has written the adaptation and directs it himself. He has a long track record of reworking classic material for the stage, and this production reunites him with the producer Sonia Friedman, with whom he has previously made Oedipus, Hamlet, The Doctor, Oresteia, Manhunt and 1984.

Who is in the cast

Knightley plays Christa-Maria Sieland, the actress whose relationship with the playwright Georg Dreyman puts them both in the sights of the state. Dreyman is played by Luke Thompson, the Olivier-nominated actor many viewers will know from Bridgerton, while Stephen Dillane, the Emmy winner familiar from John Adams and Game of Thrones, takes the role of Gerd Wiesler, the Stasi officer doing the listening.

The play is Knightley's first West End role since The Children's Hour in 2011, which was also produced by Friedman, and her first stage appearance of any kind since she played the title role in Thérèse Raquin on Broadway in 2015. Earlier this month she also spoke about phone hacking, which you can read about in our piece on Keira Knightley's comments ahead of the play.

Dates, running time and age guidance

The Lives of Others is playing a strictly limited run at the Adelphi on the Strand until 9 January 2027, with the official opening on 29 October. Evening performances begin at 7.30pm from Monday to Saturday, and there are 2.30pm matinees on selected days, so it is worth checking the calendar before you settle on a date.

An official running time has not yet been confirmed, and that tends to be finalised during previews, so it is best checked on the booking page closer to your visit. The production is recommended for ages 14 and over, as it contains themes of an adult nature.

How to get tickets

The Adelphi's own listing gives prices from £25, and tickets can be booked through the theatre's official website. Prices vary considerably by date and seat, and some agency sites quote much higher starting prices, so the venue's own page is the most reliable place to begin.

With a major film star at the top of the bill and fewer than three months of performances, anyone hoping to go would be wise not to leave it too late.

Images: Sonia Friedman Productions.