From Truman Capote's scandalous secrets to the big questions of what makes a good life, first, Jesse Tyler Ferguson (Modern Family) steps into the shoes of literary legend Truman Capote in Tru, a one-man play by Jay Presson Allen. Set in Capote's New York apartment in 1975, the story finds him reflecting on his life and career after the publication of Answered Prayers leaves his high-society friends turning their backs on him. Directed by award-winner Rob Ashford, the acclaimed production arrives at the Menier Chocolate Factory for a strictly limited run.

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Meanwhile, at the Theatre Royal Haymarket, James Graham (Dear England, Punch) turns his attention to rebel economist John Maynard Keynes in The Standard of Living. Starring Rory Kinnear and Royal Ballet principal Natalia Osipova, this world-premiere play explores a life caught between the corridors of power and the free-spirited world of the Bloomsbury Group. With markets crashing and Britain on the brink of chaos, Keynes is left asking one big question: what is a good life?

Two very different men, two fascinating stories and plenty for audiences to chew over. But what have the critics made of these new productions?

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The Standard of Living Reviews

"Rory Kinnear has bags of charm as Bloomsbury economist Keynes" The Guardian

"John Maynard Keynes' life was sadly cut short aged just 62 but his impact has lasted longer than his lifetime. Eighty years after his death, The Standard of Living is a wonderful tribute to his impact on the modern world. Graham has captured his belief in using our imagination and challenging the status quo which are certainly values we can take forward to inspire our own lives." West End Best Friend

"Rory Kinnear is superb in this must-see play about John Maynard Keynes. The Standard of Living is a timely, stimulating homage to the influential economist from one of our greatest playwrights." The Telegraph

"There are plenty of great ideas here along with some Easter Eggs for Graham fans a brilliant scene between Keynes and Hayek staged as a debate-dance echoes tangoed international relations in Eden's Empire, a mention of Albert Einstein nods to Graham's early work Albert's Boy (a revival tours next year), while economist Adam Smith is referenced from last year's Make it Happen." The Reviews Hub

Tru Critic Reviews

"Tru delivers a beautifully realised evening in the company of one of the great wits of the last century, led by an understatedly magnetic Ferguson and housed in a remarkable set that puts you right inside Capote's apartment. Despite the story never quite building to anything substantial, it is rarely less than great fun and every so often it catches you with something much sadder. Well worth pulling up a chair for." WhatsOnStage

"The joy of Tru is to be found in the tittle-tattle and Capote's boasts of knowing everyone; of seeing dogs in Hong Kong and death row prisoners; of attending seven parties in two days. How much of what Tru says is true did he really tap dance for Louis Armstrong? is unimportant. In an invented life such as his, it's the stories that count." The Reviews Hub

"Jesse Tyler Ferguson impresses as Truman Capote in this slender drama from Jay Presson Allen." The Stage

"Capote has an enduring allure because of his popular cultural legacy, and his life has all the touch-points for a good story, which is why Tru is one of a catalogue of bio-works. This play may not offer anything new, but it is a star vehicle, and Ferguson does not disappoint. His Capote is nuanced and appealing; of course he is buoyant, articulate and droll, but he is also a man reckoning with his own self-sabotage. That is worth watching." British Theatre Guide

"Though the design and direction are both excellent and impressive, it is the phenomenal performance from Jesse Tyler Ferguson that leads me to recommend this so highly. Tru is a chance to see a performer at the top of their game and to be blown away by their sheer magnificence. If you're looking for a night like no other, when I say you can't go wrong with this production, you know it's true." All That Dazzles