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Review: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Stage Adaptation Starring Ralf Little

David Eldridge’s stage adaptation of John Le Carré's "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold," starring Ralf Little, might have quietly vindicated the author's famous ban on theatrical versions of his work. Directed by Jeremy Herrin, the product

BroadwayWorld·May 20, 2026·via BroadwayWorld

Review: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, Stage Adaptation Starring Ralf Little

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David Eldridge's adaptation of John Le Carré's third book is more style over substance

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Author John Le Carré famously banned stage versions of his work, and he may well have felt quietly vindicated with his decision having seen David Eldridge 's adaptation of his third book, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. Jeremy Herrin directs a cinematic and darkly-tinged production that ends up being more style over substance.

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The show has a history already; premiering at Chichester in 2024, then a West End run and now a UK tour. British intelligence officer Alec Leamas is burnt out and and ready to return to The Circus. But his boss George Smiley has other ideas. Offered one final mission, Leamas must use all his knowledge and rely on his wits to feign defection to East Germany in order to expose a brutal Communist intelligence officer. There he finds his morality and very sanity tested, particularly by Liz Gold, an idealistic librarian who stakes a claim on his previously cold heart.

Written at the height of the Cold War, Eldridge's adaptation highlights the dangers of valuing pragmatism over honesty and the impact of this on the human heart. Leamas is so impacted by a lifetime of deceit that he no longer knows who he is and what he really stands for. His unreliable memories pursue and haunt him.

Le Carré's book is long and incredibly detailed, so it's understandable that the script for the production is rather heavy on exposition at points. The first half often feels plodding, but ups temp significantly in the second half. The issue with the show is less about the script than the performances that overall feel a bit clunky. This is very much a production where actors are 'acting'.

Ralph Little will be the draw for audiences here. He takes on the role of the disillusioned protagonist Alec Leamas; hands permanently in his pockets, Little is crumpled, world-weary and almost impossibly grumpy. Conflicted and disturbed by both his memories and his current mission, we enter into the workings inside Leamas's head- a man who drinks too much and sleeps too little. Unfortunately, Little's screen acting talents fail to translate onto the stage as he is miscast in the role; we never quite believe in his character.

Librarian Liz is a much more fleshed-out character than the book; Gráinne Dromgoole portrays a woman pushed towards Communism through idealism, who can never be quite sure about the man she falls in love with. Eldridge also sensibly gives more time to Smiley than Le Carré did in the book and Tony Turner gives us a softly-spoken Smiley, fronting a razor-sharp mind.

Peter Losasso is sharp and cruel as Mundt, the German Counter-intelligence officer responsible for the death of Leamas's source and Nicholas Murchie is a rather smarmy Control.

The show looks great; slick and full of foreboding shadows. Max Jones 's simplistic design sets the action on a map of Europe, divided by orange lines, with countries shaded in red or blue. Azusa Ono 's lighting design is atmospheric and portrays the sinister darkness that surrounds the story. Paul Englishby 's filmic score enhances the noir-ish feel and characters create constant movement between scenes, adding to the feeling that Leamas is always being watched by someone.

Le Carré's work is challenging to stage and this production demonstrates that there is potential in a theatrical adaptation. It is just not there yet.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold runs at Richmond Theatre until 23 May, then continues on a national tour.

Photo Credits: Johan Persson

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_Originally reported by [BroadwayWorld](https://www.broadwayworld.com/westend/article/Review-THE-SPY-WHO-CAME-IN-FROM-THE-COLD-Starring-Ralf-Little-20260520)._

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