James Graham play The Standard of Living to have world premiere in the West End – with lead cast revealed
- Marcus Edwards
- 11 hours ago
- 3 min read
Keynes, ballet and the concept of funding the arts collide in Graham’s new play
James Graham’s new play The Standard of Living will receive its world premiere in the West End this autumn.
The play explores the life of John Maynard Keynes, the influential economist, member of the Bloomsbury Group and advocate for public arts funding whose ideas helped shape the post-war world.
Rory Kinnear will lead the cast as Keynes and Royal Ballet principal dancer Natalia Osipova making her West End debut as Russian ballerina and Keynes’ spouse Lydia Lopokova.
The production, directed by Nicholas Hytner, will run for a limited 12-week engagement at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 21 September to 12 December 2026.
Graham explained the inspiration for the play: “The extraordinary life of one of the 20th century’s most impactful and yet – today – rarely talked about figures crosses so many of my favourite worlds to depict: politics, economics, the arts, diplomacy. I’m in playwrighting heaven. Keynes was a humble, radical world-builder, and I’m grateful to bring that world to theatrical life with Nicholas Hytner, a director I owe so much to, and to be supported into bringing a new play straight into the West End, when newness is so needed.”
The creative team includes set designer Bob Crowley, with further members to be announced.
Hytner, who commissioned Graham’s break-out hit This House for the National Theatre in 2012, added that “this wonderful play presses all my buttons so I couldn’t be happier to resume our collaboration, and to work again with the great Rory Kinnear, and to bring the astonishing Natalia Osipova to the West End.”
Graham has been placing key economists on stage over the last year, with Adam Smith portrayed by Brian Cox in Scotland’s world premiere Make It Happen last summer.
Kinnear, working once more with Hytner after a series of past projects including Young Marx – and now straying into a completing different economic school – added: “It is a huge privilege to delve into the fascinating life and legacy of John Maynard Keynes: the pioneering thinker and passionate advocate for life, love and the arts whose hunger for a better life, changed the world. Armed with James’s incredible script and reunited with the ever brilliant Nicholas Hytner, I can’t wait to work with this extraordinary company to bring Keynes’ story to life in the West End.”
Osipova concluded: “It’s a fantastic honour to be making my West End debut in The Standard of Living with such an incredible line-up of creatives and performers. Lydia Lopokova was a pivotal figure in ballet history, bridging Diaghilev’s legendary Ballets Russes and the development of British ballet last century, and I can’t wait to explore her character.”
Twenty-five per cent of tickets for the production will be priced at £25. The producers have also announced a £25 “Keynes Tickets” scheme for under-30s throughout the run.
It is being produced by Brian and Dayna Lee, alongside Hytner, following their collaboration on Giant in the West End and on Broadway. They said today: “James has the exceptional ability to distill pivotal political, social and historical events into riveting and life-altering theatre, and what he has done with the story of John Maynard Keynes is no exception.
“We are delighted to be working with James and collaborating once again with the brilliant Nicholas Hytner to bring this extraordinary piece of bold original writing direct to the West End and share the little known story of the man who made it possible for theatre and art of all kinds to flourish in this country.”
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