Rehearsal images released for James Graham's THE STANDARD OF LIVING

Written by three-time Olivier Award winner James Graham (Dear England), and directed by four-time Tony Award and three-time Olivier-award winner Nicholas Hytner (Giant), The Standard of Living explores the life, legacy, and revolutionary ideas of John Maynard Keynes, the British economist and founder of Keynesian economics, who became the singular driving force behind arts funding in Britain and built a new and fairer financial model, that ultimately helped reshape the Western World in the aftermath of the First World War.

Graham is one of Britain's most prolific and insightful dramatists, known for his ability to blend history, economics, and politics with powerful storytelling. His work has been staged throughout the UK and internationally. His 2023 play, Dear England, a portrait of England footballer and team manager Gareth Southgate, was recently commissioned into a television adaptation by the BBC, which aired the same time as the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

This bold new original play stars Olivier Award winner Rory Kinnear as Keynes, with Royal Ballet Principal Natalia Osipova making her West End debut as the celebrated ballet dancer Lydia Lopokova, wife to Keynes. Joining them are Thomas Flynn as Keynes’ friend and lover Duncan Grant and Laurie Kynaston as Keynes’ great economic rival Friedrich Hayek. Portraying members of the Bloomsbury Group, the rest of the cast includes Pip Carter as Lytton Strachey; Agatha Enecio as Dora Carrington; Naomi Frederick asVirginia Woolf; Claire Price as Vanessa Bell; with George Taylor as William Beveridge.

The Standard of Living will play at the Theatre Royal Haymarket from 21st September to 12th December.

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The Standard of Living Tickets