Review Roundup: What Are the Critics Saying About The Standard of Living at Theatre Royal Haymarket?

The Standard of Living has arrived in London for a strictly limited season at the Theatre Royal Haymarket. Written by three-time Olivier Award winner James Graham and directed by Nicholas Hytner, the world premiere explores the life, loves and ideas of economist John Maynard Keynes against a backdrop of political and economic upheaval. With Rory Kinnear and Natalia Osipova leading the cast, what have the critics made of this ambitious new play?

What is The Standard of Living about?

The Standard of Living follows John Maynard Keynes (Rory Kinnear), the influential economist whose ideas helped shape Britain’s financial system in the aftermath of the First World War. Moving between the world of Whitehall and the artistic circles of the Bloomsbury Group, Keynes finds himself questioning what really makes a life worth living.

His relationship with Lydia Lopokova (Natalia Osipova), the celebrated Russian ballerina, becomes central to both his personal and professional life. As financial markets collapse and the established order begins to shift, Keynes must reckon with questions of wealth, power, art, love and what society should truly value.

Written by James Graham, The Standard of Living brings together politics, economics, art and movement in a sweeping exploration of one of the twentieth century’s most influential thinkers.