Keira Knightley Returns to the Stage in West End Adaptation of 'The Lives of Others'

Time Out has given three stars to The Lives of Others at the Adelphi Theatre, noting that it marks Keira Knightley's return to the stage after 15 years — only her third play. Director Robert Icke has adapted the 2006 Oscar-winning German film about Stasi surveillance in East Germany, in which a conflicted spy begins surveilling an East German playwright and his actress partner. Knightley plays the actress, with Luke Thompson as the playwright and Stephen Dillane — singled out for the strongest performance — as the increasingly troubled Stasi agent. The production features 15 core cast members plus 24 supernumeraries and uses instrumental tracks from David Bowie's Berlin album Low to create what the reviewer describes as a "gutsy noir-ish sweep." The review notes the show "hits the spot" as entertainment but falls short of Icke's best work, while praising Thompson and Dillane's performances and noting that Knightley, though well-suited to the role, shows a limited stage range compared to more experienced theatre actors. The production runs at the Adelphi Theatre until 9 January 2027.