The Lives of Others Tickets

“The words are the recipe, and the director is the chef" Georg Dreyman (Luke Thompson) claims. In that case, Robert Icke is due a Michelin star.  Icke has whipped up a treat for the west end, adapting Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Oscar winning German-language film, into a pacy and passionate stage thriller.  Set in East Germany in 1984, The Lives of Others explores a society where privacy is a luxury and overheard confessions can have devastating consequences. Writer Georg Dreyman (Luke Thompson) and his girlfriend, celebrated stage actress Christa-Maria Sieland (Keira Knightley), find themselves under the watchful eye of the Stasi. Their every conversation is monitored by state officer Gerd Wiesler (Stephen Dillane), whose professional detachment begins to falter when he discovers the real reason for the Partei's interest in the playwright and his partner. With his superior, Grubitz (Paul Higgins), keeping a close eye on proceedings, the consequences of stepping out of line are never far away. Knightley, Dillane, Thompson and Higgins are the star ingredients in Icke’s tightly assembled, and magnificently crafted, serving.  Returning to the London stage after 15 years (in The Children’s Hour, also produced by Sonia Friedman), Knightley’s performance was worth the wait. The two-time Oscar nominee is inspired casting as the ethereal Sieland, whose captivating presence at Dreyman’s party conceals a vulnerable and conflicted woman out of the spotlight. Thompson is equally convincing as piano playing playwright Dreyman. Initially naive to the circumstances he finds himself, and his friends in, Dreyman soon finds the reality of his situation becomes impossible to ignore. Soon, his restraint at the beginning gives way to anger and defiance. Thompson navigates the shift with impressive conviction, bringing an increasingly fiery intensity to a character whose political awakening comes at considerable personal cost. Dillane gives a remarkable account of a man caught between the rigid demands of his profession and an emerging conscience. There are unexpected flashes of humour, too, as Wiesler attempts to conceal his growing sympathies, while a particularly affecting scene sees him visibly moved by Dreyman's piano playing. Higgins, meanwhile, provides a suitably formidable presence as Grubitz, whose unwavering loyalty to the system makes him a constant threat.

The big opening this week is undoubtedly Robert Icke’s take on The Lives of Others, Florian Henckel Von Donnersmarck’s remarkable 2006 movie set in East Berlin in the mid-1980s, when East Germans were still under constant surveillance by the Stasi. Keira Knightley plays actress Christa-Maria, and Luke Thompson is her playwright boyfriend, who both come to the attention of Stasi officer Gerd (Stephen Dillane). He becomes obsessed by them, and soon the boundaries between the observed and the observer start to shift. Icke is the most thoughtful of theatre-makers, and this has all the makings of a major hit and one which asks searching questions about art, empathy and totalitarianism.    For something different, look no further than Ceilidh at Shoreditch Town Hall, a new musical created by Scott Gilmour and Claire McKenzie, AKA Noisemaker, which is inspired by the still prevalent traditional Scottish gatherings featuring country dancing and which is directed by Sam Pinkleton, who is also the director of Oh, Mary! at the Trafalgar Theatre. Arriving in London direct from Alan Cummings’ Pitlochry Theatre, this is likely to be London’s most joyous evening as audiences are invited—but not obliged—to join the dance as the show tells the story of a family who for generations have been the callers, explaining and guiding the dancers through the dances so that everyone can join in. The show had its world premiere in Baltimore, where it proved a hit, so book your spot on the dance floor while you have the chance.    

New rehearsal photos have been released for The Lives of Others, giving a first look at Keira Knightley and Luke Thompson ahead of the production’s opening. Robert Icke’s stage adaptation of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Oscar-winning 2006 film comes to the Adelphi Theatre, with previews beginning on 14 October 2026.