The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

GALLERY
“David Eldridge’s tense, gripping adaptation is staged with moody flair by Jeremy Herrin in this intelligent, atmospheric production”
Financial Times
Location & Date
sohoplace
17 Nov 2025 - 21 Feb 2026
Details

For the first time ever, a novel by John le Carré — the undisputed master of the modern spy genre — is brought to life in a thrilling stage adaptation. The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, a towering work of 20th-century fiction, comes to the West End for what promises to be the theatrical event of the Autumn: a journey through the fog-shrouded terrain of Cold War espionage, deception, and moral compromise. British intelligence officer Alec Leamas is weary, hardened, and ready to come in from the cold. But when spymaster George Smiley presents one final mission — dangerous, deceptive, and deeply personal — Leamas agrees to stay in the game. Dispatched into enemy territory, he finds his convictions tested and his defences breached by Liz Gold, a quietly defiant librarian whose compassion threatens to thaw his frostbitten heart. A global bestseller for over six decades and named one of TIME Magazine’s All-Time 100 Novels, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is le Carré at his most incisive — a story of betrayal not only between nations, but within the human soul. Following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre, this West End premiere reunites playwright David Eldridge (Beginning, Middle) and director Jeremy Herrin (A Mirror, People, Places and Things) for a theatrical experience of rare intensity.

Cast

Rory Keenan

Agnes O'Casey

David Rubin

Gunnar Cauthery

Ian Drysdale

John Ramm

Mat Betteridge

Norma Atallah

Philip Arditti

Tom Kanji

Creative

Adapted for the stage by David Eldridge

Director Jeremy Herrin

Designer Max Jones

Lighting Design Azusa Ono

Sound Design Elizabeth Purnell

Composer Paul Englishby

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