Rory Kinnear Stars as John Maynard Keynes in "The Standard of Living"
A new play at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket explores the economist's ideas on optimism and the good life, offering a surprisingly frolicsome evening.
Optimism, a rare commodity, is being offered at London's Theatre Royal Haymarket in "The Standard of Living," a play that delves into the economic theories of John Maynard Keynes.
Rory Kinnear portrays Keynes, an early 20th-century economist, in what is described as a bashfully brilliant turn. The play, penned by documentary playwright James Graham, known for "Dear England," centers on Keynes's contemplation of what constitutes a good life, a question he considered paramount in economics. Keynes viewed the market as an expression of human desires, famously stating, "In the long run, we are all dead," encouraging spending while one can, and writing, "Money in savings is asleep, money spent is alive."
Despite the potentially dry subject matter, Kinnear's performance transforms it into a fascinating, fun-filled, and frolicsome evening. The actor humanizes Keynes with a nervy air of uncertainty. The play touches upon Keynes's intellectual circle, the Bloomsbury Group, which included writers Virginia Woolf and Lytton Strachey, portrayed by Naomi Frederick and Pip Carter respectively. His most significant critic is presented as fellow economist Friedrich Hayek, played by Laurie Kynaston.
Graham's portrayal of Keynes is largely sunny and uncritical, highlighting his defiance of the establishment and his personal life, including a pocketbook record of his encounters. The narrative shifts as Keynes falls for the Russian dancer Lydia Lopokova, the prima ballerina of the Royal Opera, played by Natalia Osipova. In the latter part of the play, the story becomes didactic, including a plea for arts funding.
Director Nicholas Hytner guides the production as a lively pageant, incorporating projections of period artworks and black-and-white news footage spanning half a century of British history. While audiences may not agree with Keynes's economic theories or his ultimate success in saving the world, the play promises to provoke discussion long after the performance ends.