Sonia Friedman Productions has announced the world premiere of a stage adaptation of Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s Oscar-winning film The Lives of Others, adapted and directed by Robert Icke.
Keira Knightley, Stephen Dillane and Luke Thompson will lead the company when the production opens at the Adelphi Theatre on 29 October, with previews from 14 October, running until 9 January 2027.
Tickets are now on sale from £25, with over 36,000 seats available under £35 across the run, representing more than 25% of all tickets.
The production reunites Robert Icke and Sonia Friedman following their previous collaborations on works including Oedipus, Hamlet, The Doctor, Oresteia and 1984. It also marks a new collaboration between Icke and Knightley, who previously worked with Friedman on The Children’s Hour.
Set in East Berlin in 1984, The Lives of Others follows a writer and an actor placed under state surveillance, observed from the attic above their home by a Stasi officer whose life begins to change as he listens in.
Written and directed by Olivier Award-winner Robert Icke, the adaptation explores themes of artistic censorship, state surveillance and the relationship between art and politics.
The creative team includes set and costume designer Hildegard Bechtler, lighting designer Jon Clark, sound designer Giles Thomas, with original music by Max Richter. Casting is by Julia Horan CDG.
Sonia Friedman commented, “I’ve been obsessed with The Lives of Others ever since I first saw it – 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.”
“Set in East Berlin in 1984 – a world where nothing is private, every word carries consequence, and the state holds power not just over lives, but over thought, speech and imagination itself, this world premiere is a reminder of how fragile those freedoms are, and of the cost and courage required to hold on to them.”
“What I love most about it is that it’s both epic and intimate – incredibly beautiful, sad, and deeply moving – and at its heart, it’s an unlikely story about kindness. A story about connection and compassion in the most unexpected places.”
“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. And in an extraordinary coup, we’re incredibly excited that Max Richter will be composing new music for the production. Max is one of the great composers of our time, and his work has a depth and emotional truth that has the potential to break our hearts.”
“I really can’t wait to share it with audiences.”
Full cast details will be announced shortly.
Listings and ticket information can be found here
