Rory Kinnear as Keynes: what The Standard of Living is

What is The Standard of Living about?

The Standard of Living is a play by James Graham about the economist John Maynard Keynes. Rory Kinnear plays Keynes in a production directed by Nicholas Hytner at the Theatre Royal Haymarket in London. ¹²

The story moves through periods of political and economic upheaval, including the world wars, the Wall Street Crash and arguments over policy in Whitehall, according to the Guardian review. It also connects Keynes’s economic ideas with his relationships and his involvement in artistic circles. ¹

Why are people talking about Rory Kinnear?

Kinnear is playing a major historical figure whose work can be difficult to explain in a theatre setting. The Guardian reviewer describes his portrayal as combining reserve and charm, and says the production brings economic theory to the stage with energy and humour. ¹

The Observer reviewer also praised Kinnear’s performance, calling it superb. That reviewer found the play emotionally affecting, while acknowledging that a production lasting two and a half hours must leave some things out. ²

Who was John Maynard Keynes?

Keynes was a British economist and an important thinker on economic policy in the twentieth century, according to the Guardian review. The play presents him not only through his public ideas but also as an art lover and a member of the Bloomsbury circle. ¹

The reviews describe Keynes’s bisexuality and relationships with men as part of the story. They also refer to his connections with writers and artists, including Virginia Woolf, Lytton Strachey and Duncan Grant. ¹²

Does the play get Keynes’s life and ideas right?

The Observer reviewer, who writes as someone deeply influenced by Keynes’s work, judged that Graham understood the importance of his ideas. The same review cautioned that the play leaves much unsaid. ²

The Guardian praised the way the writing balances social history and political ideas, but the available review material does not provide a detailed fact-check of individual scenes. These reviews are opinions, not a complete historical assessment. Readers should treat claims about the play’s accuracy as limited by that distinction.

What does this mean for an ordinary reader?

You do not need to know economic theory before seeing or reading about the play. The reviews suggest that it uses Keynes’s life, relationships and interest in art to make questions about economic policy and human fulfilment more approachable. ¹²

For someone deciding whether the production sounds interesting, the main appeal described by reviewers is the combination of a historical portrait, political ideas and theatre performance. The sources do not include practical details such as ticket availability, prices or the production’s full schedule, so check the theatre’s official information for current arrangements.