“The Lives of Others” takes to the stage: Keira Knightley leads the world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre

The first rehearsal photos from the world premiere of the stage adaptation of the Oscar-winning film “The Lives of Others” were published today, with Oscar-nominated star Keira Knightley in the leading role — as BroadwayWorld reports. The production will open at London’s Adelphi Theatre on 29 October, with previews from 14 October, in a limited run until 9 January 2027.

The adaptation and direction come from Olivier Award-winning director Robert Icke, who renews his partnership with producer Sonia Friedman after collaborations on “Oedipus”, “Hamlet”, “The Doctor”, “Oresteia” and “1984”. Alongside Knightley star Emmy Award winner Stephen Dillane and Olivier nominee Luke Thompson, together with an ensemble of 15 actors.

The play is set in 1984, in East Germany: a writer and an actress are placed under state surveillance, and from the attic above their apartment, the Stasi agent listens to every conversation in search of evidence of subversion. But to observe a life is to risk changing your own. The drama explores artistic censorship, state surveillance and the relationship between art and politics.

The original music was composed by Max Richter, the multi-award-winning composer; set design by Hildegard Bechtler, lighting design by Jon Clark, video design by Tal Yarden and sound design by Giles Thomas. Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s original film, released in 2006, won the Oscar for best international film, the BAFTA for best film not in the English language, and awards in Europe, France and the United States — a legacy the stage adaptation promises to bring powerfully to the West End.