John le Carré's 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold' to open in the West End

David Eldridge will adapt John le Carré's novel about British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, who is presented with one final mission by spymaster George Smiley.

John le Carré's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold will be staged at @sohoplace this winter, which is the first time one his works will be seen in the West End.

David Eldridge will adapt Carré's novel about British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, who is presented with one final mission by spymaster George Smiley. When he agrees to stay in the game and is sent into enemy territory, he finds his convictions challenged by quietly defiant and compassionate librarian Liz Gold. Jeremy Herrin (People, Places and Things, Long Day's Journey Into Night) directs.

Rory Keenan (Somewhere Boy, The Regime) and Agnes O’Casey (Lies We Tell, Black Doves) star as Alec Leamas and Liz Gold, with Gunnar Cauthery (Dear England, Mack & Mabel) as Hans-Dieter Mundt and John Ramm (King Lear, Wolf Hall/Bring Up The Bodies) as George Smiley.

The production transfers from Chichester Festival Theatre, and will run for 14 weeks staged in the round from 17 November - 21 February, 2026.

Returning to the production are Philip Arditti (Breathtaking, No Return) as Fielder, Norma Atallah (Mamma Mia!, Rome) as Miss Crail/President of the Tribunal, Matt Betteridge (Ulster American, Slow Horses) as Riemeck/Kiever, Ian Drysdale (Firebrand, Ross) as Control, Tom Kanji (Richard My Richard, The Box of Delights) as Ashe, and David Rubin (Grantchester, Finding My Voice) as Pitt/Ford.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is designed by Max Jones, with lighting design by Azusa Ono, composition by Paul Englishby, sound design by Elizabeth Purnell, movement direction by Lucy Cullingford, fight direction by Bret Yount, and voice by Hazel Holder.

Eldridge said: “It has been a great privilege adapting John le Carré's youthful masterpiece for the theatre, and it gives me great pleasure that after a sellout run in Chichester, we’re able to share the play with audiences in London. Although set in the murky world of the cold war espionage thriller it’s a strikingly relevant story for our times. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold asks us how one can retain one’ s humanity and morality if one must operate with the same impunity and brutality as your enemy to defeat him?”

Herrin said: “Rapt full houses in Chichester told us that John le Carré’s hit novel translates meaningfully to the stage, so it’s great to bring The Spy Who Came In From The Cold to the glorious Soho Place, just up the road from George Smiley’s old haunt at Cambridge Circus. It’s an appropriate place to explore the high stakes of the Cold War, the moral bankruptcy of both East and West, and the power of love when Alec Leamas eventually finds something worth fighting for. David Eldridge keeps us on the edge of our seats as a talented group of actors take us on the twists and turns of this shattering and thrilling ride.”

Check back for The Spy Who Came In From The Cold tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Rory Keenan in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold. (Photo by Johan Persson)