David Eldridge’s adaptation of John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came In From The Cold drags Cold War espionage out of the shadows.  Set in 1961 Berlin, the production follows Alec Leamas (Ralph Little), a burnt‑out British agent watching his network crumble under the ruthless efficiency of East German intelligence chief Mundt (Peter Losasso). When Leamas’s final operative is killed, he appears to unravel, losing his job, drinking himself into oblivion, and eventually landing in prison. But the collapse is a carefully engineered deception, masterminded by his superior, Control (Nicholas Murchie), to lure the East Germans into recruiting him.

What Leamas doesn’t anticipate is how deeply he will be manipulated. His relationship with Liz (Grainne Dromgoole), tender but fragile, becomes another lever in a much larger machine controlled not only by Control but also by the quietly omnipresent George Smiley (Tony Turner).

Jeremy Herrin’s production embraces stark minimalism: an all‑black stage dominated by a raised balcony that doubles as the Berlin Wall and as a psychological battleground where figures loom over Leamas, sometimes real, sometimes imagined. The monochrome palette extends to the costumes, broken only once by Liz’s striking green suit in the courtroom, a jolt of humanity in an otherwise drained world.

At the centre is Ralf Little’s Alec Leamas, a role demanding both emotional stamina and control. Though his first‑act performance shows some tentativeness, he finds his footing with force in the second. As the play darkens, his portrayal grows increasingly , causing culminating in a torture sequence that is both physically convincing and emotionally raw.

Gráinne Dromgoole gives the standout performance as Liz Gold, conveying the character’s emotional intelligence with understated, devastating clarity. Eddie Toll’s Fiedler brings fierce moral conviction to his pursuit of exposing Mundt, only to be crushed by the Circus’s cold calculations.

Eldridge condenses le Carré’s dense novel into just over two hours, and while the plot’s weight occasionally shows, the emotional and ethical impact lands with force. This is espionage stripped of glamour: bleak, manipulative, and haunting. A morally tangled thriller that lingers long after the lights fade.

Reviewed by Nina Gardner

Four Stars.

Showing at Richmond Theatre 20th – 23rd May 2026

Tickets and further information can be obtained from the link below.

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold/richmond-theatre/calendar/2026-05-20

Cast

Alec Leamas – Ralf Little

Liz Gold –          Gráinne Dromgoole

George Smiley – Tony Turner

Control –           Nicholas Murchie

Hans-Dieter Mundt – Peter Losasso

Fielder –             Eddie Toll

Miss Crail / President of the Tribunal – Melody Chikakane Brown

Ashe –                 Jeff D’Sangalang

Riemeck / Kiever – Jonny Burman

Pitt / Ford –      Jo Servi

Clara Wessely –  Ensemble

James Burman – Ensemble

Creatives

David Eldridge – Adapter

Jeremy Herrin – Director

Max Jones – Set and Costume Design

Azusa Ono Lighting

Elizabeth Purnell – Sound

Paul Englesby – Composer

Matilda James.