Adapted from the 2006 original film, Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck's THE LIVES OF OTHERS arrives in the West End's Adelphi Theatre from 14 October 2026 for a strictly limited run.
Listening changes everything.
1984. East Germany. A writer and an actor are placed under state surveillance. From the attic above their apartment, their Stasi man listens for evidence of subversion. But to observe a life is to risk changing your own.
Starring Academy Award nominee Keira Knightley, Emmy Award winner Stephen Dillane and Olivier Award nominee Luke Thompson, The Lives of Others plays at the Adelphi Theatre for a strictly limited run.
Written and directed by Olivier Award-winner Robert Icke and based on the Oscar-winning 2007 film by Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck , this electrifying adaptation explores artistic censorship, state surveillance and the relationship between art and politics.
Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s The Lives of Others German language film was released in 2006. It won numerous awards including the Oscar for Best International Film, the BAFTA for Best Film Not in the English Language, the Caesar for Best Foreign Film, the Independent Spirit Award for Best Foreign Film, the New York and LA Critics’ Circle Awards for Best Foreign Film, the British Independent Film Award for Best International Independent Film, and the European and German Film Awards for Best Film.
CAST
KIERA KNIGHTLEY - Christa-Maria Sieland
STEPHEN DILLANE - Hauptmann Gerd Wiesler
LUKE THOMPSON - Georg Dreyman
CREATIVES
FLORIAN HENCKEL VON DONNERSMARCK - Writer
ROBERT ICKE - Adaptation & Director
HILDEGARD BECHTLER - Set and Costume Designer
JON CLARK - Lighting Designer
GILES THOMAS - Sound Designer
MAX RICHTER - Original Music
JULIA HORAN CDG - Casting