Keira Knightley and Luke Thompson on Stasi Surveillance Drama

Keira Knightley apologized for her crunchy salad as she settled in to discuss her return to the stage after an eleven-year hiatus. Her latest project is a theatrical adaptation of the Oscar-winning 2006 film The Lives of Others, set in East Berlin during 1984. Knightley portrays Christa-Maria, a stage actor involved with a director named Georg, played by 38-year-old Bridgerton actor Luke Thompson. The narrative centers on their surveillance by a Stasi officer, Wiesler, played by Stephen Dillane, whose ideological dedication begins to waver as he monitors their private lives. U npacking assorted tubs of carrot sticks and salad, Keira Knightley winces apologetically. “I just realised I’ve got very crunchy food,” she says. The Stasi officer whose principles are gradually challenged and weakened by his round-the-clock exposure to this cultured couple, earwigging on them is Wiesler (Stephen Dillane). Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck’s original movie opens with an interrogation scene in which a persecuted citizen is grilled relentlessly for 40 hours – the length of time it takes, according to Wiesler, for a suspect to crack under questioning. Who has brought along his own leafy lunch to the north London town hall where rehearsals are under way, i have only been allotted one-fortieth of that time with Knightley and Thompson. Put a countdown clock on stage in Oedipus (and others), and added the Beach Boys to Oresteia, this is the man who introduced Sliding Doors-style alternate-reality scenes into Romeo and Juliet. Interrogation techniques turn out not to be necessary today. “It’s quite a technical show,” volunteers Thompson, the 38-year-old Bridgerton star who worked with Icke previously on Hamlet (with Andrew Scott as the Prince ) and Oresteia. “Rather than different scenes, it’s like one big set-piece with people coming in and passing batons. Which is odd, laughs the 41-year-old Knightley, “because Rob hates dancing.

Directed by Robert Icke, the production is technically complex, utilizing a revolving stage that allows the audience to witness both the subjects and their eavesdropper simultaneously. Thompson noted that the play functions like one continuous set-piece, with actors passing responsibilities much like a relay race. While Icke has previously incorporated video and CCTV in productions like Hamlet and 1984, Thompson admitted that while video can sometimes feel gimmicky, it serves a clear purpose here, highlighting the inherent nature of observation. But I am still hopeful of extracting a few details about what the play’s visionary writer-director Robert Icke has up his sleeve.

Knightley reflected on the shift in how society views surveillance over the last two decades. She expressed a cautious view, noting that while cameras in public spaces might provide a sense of security during a theft, the question remains: who is actually watching? She drew a parallel to her own experience as one of the first public figures to have her phone messages hacked by tabloids. She emphasized that even if state monitoring is not always overt, the mere suggestion of it is often sufficient to force citizens into self-censorship.

The production incorporates music, with the team utilizing a score by Max Richter during rehearsals. Discussions within the cast have also touched on contemporary parallels, including the scrutiny of social media accounts at borders. The cast has relied on Anna Funder’s 2003 book Stasiland for historical context, though they acknowledge the debates surrounding the film’s historical accuracy. Despite such critiques, the story has previously inspired real-world action; in 2014, 43 veterans of an elite Israeli military intelligence unit cited the film’s themes while protesting government policies against Palestinians.

Regarding modern theatre etiquette, both actors shared frustrations over disruptive technology. Knightley mentioned the intense audience reaction when phones ring during performances, while Thompson discussed the challenge of managing audience photography, referencing the frustration expressed by previous collaborators like Lesley Manville. They also touched on the rising cost of tickets, with some peaking at £225. Knightley suggested that high prices might influence the ubiquity of standing ovations, as audience members feel a pressure to validate their investment.

Despite the high costs, Thompson emphasized that the most valuable aspect of theatre is the lasting impact a good performance has on the viewer, regardless of the applause at the end. Knightley agreed, noting the difference between a viewer’s desire to justify a high ticket price and the transformative experience of being moved by a story. As the team continues to refine the technical elements of the show, they remain focused on the central themes of paranoia and the fragile boundary between the public and private self.