Rory Kinnear, Natalia Osipova to Star in World Premiere of THE STANDARD OF LIVING

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Natalia Osipova makes her West End debut alongside Kinnear in James Graham's play, directed by Nicholas Hytner.

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The Standard of Living, a new play written by three-time Olivier Award winner James Graham (Punch, This House, Dear England, Sherwood), will make its world premiere in September.

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This bold piece of original new writing will receive its World Premiere in London's West End with a production directed by multi-award winner Nicholas Hytner (The History Boys, One Man, Two Guvnors, Giant)) featuring set design by Olivier Award winner Bob Crowley (Giant, The Inheritance, An American in Paris).

The Standard of Living will run for a strict 12 week engagement at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Previews will begin on 21 September with opening night on Tuesday 29 September. Tickets are on sale now.

The producers have also announced the release of “Keynes Tickets” which will be available for under 30s throughout the run priced at £25, to ensure that extraordinary new writing is accessible to the widest possible audience. Audiences can sign up now for notification of their release.

Olivier Award winner Rory Kinnear (Hamlet, Skyfall, The Diplomat) stars as John Maynard Keynes, the radical economist and member of the influential Bloomsbury Group 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. Royal Ballet Principal Natalia Osipova makes her West End debut as the celebrated ballet dancer Lydia Lopokova , a soloist with Diaghilev's Ballets Russes who was considered the embodiment of the new era of modernist ballet.

Can you put a price on happiness, beauty and love?

Husband to ballerina Lydia Lopokova . Lover to Duncan Grant. Friend to Virginia Woolf . Keynes moves between the corridors of power in Whitehall and the intoxicating freedom of a radical circle of artists, writers and lovers - all determined to live differently.

But as markets crash, old systems crumble and Britain teeters on the edge of chaos, one question begins to consume him: What is a good life? Can art, love and human connection reshape the future before it's too late? Or is the world too addicted to wealth and power to change?

Alive with music, dance, desire and debate, The Standard of Living is a thrilling, funny and deeply moving portrait of a man who dared to imagine something better.

Brian and Dayna Lee said: “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.”

James Graham commented: “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 ”

Nicholas Hytner commented: “I've followed James Graham 's brilliant career with admiration and excitement since I commissioned his break-out hit 'This House' for The National Theatre in 2012. 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.”

Rory Kinnear commented: “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.”

Natalia Osipova commented: “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.”

The Standard of Living will be produced in the West End by Brian & Dayna Lee and Nicholas Hytner with Len Blavatnik & Danny Cohen for Access Entertainment and Ramin Sabi . Mark Rubinstein is Executive Producer and General Management is by Short Street Productions Ltd .

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Rory-Kinnear-and-Natalia-Osipova-Will-Lead-THE-STANDARD-OF-LIVING-West-End-World-Premiere-20260615)._