Review: The Spy Who Came In From The Cold (@SohoPlace)

Review by Daz Gale

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The works of John le Carré have thrilled audiences for decades, earning a reputation for the master of the spy genre with multiple adaptations for the screen. With that in mind, it comes as a surprise that none of his novels have ever been adapted for the stage… until now, that is. Following a run in Chichester last year, le Carré’s classic The Spy Who Came In From The Cold gets a belated transfer to the West End, allowing audiences at @SohoPlace to fall in love with his writing in a way like never before. Would this adaptation be every bit as masterful as you would hope from the master of the spy genre, or would it leave me feeling cold?

Published in 1963 and adapted into a film two years later, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold follows British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, a man worn down by years of espionage and longing to leave the shadowy world of spies behind. However, when his superiors at the Circus present him with one final, dangerous mission, he reluctantly agrees to stay in the game. Sent into enemy territory, he encounters quiet librarian Liz Gold, who threatens to unravel both the mission and his hardened heart. With betrayals, double-crossings, and shifting allegiances at every turn, Leamas must confront not only the complex world of Cold War espionage but his own conscience. Will he be able to navigate the tangled web of deception before it's too late?

Adapted by David Eldridge, this stage production retains the suspense and mystery pivotal to any John le Carré novel, finding creative ways to bring his words to life on stage. Though Eldridge does a fine job of doing this, I found myself struggling to connect to the story and lose myself in this world, as I love doing in the theatre. Some scenes felt like they went on too long, with a lot of talking and not much happening. Though there are constraints on what you can do on a stage like this, I would have liked the pacing to have been a bit more even, as I found my mind wandering at times, rather than being as enraptured as I would have hoped.

Jeremy Herrin’s direction uses the space at @SohoPlace admirably, with the audience surrounding every corner of it, creating an intimate story that leaves nothing hidden, exposing everything, for better or worse. There are some inspired choices in Herrin’s direction, notably the addition of a balcony on each of the four corners of the theatre’s first balcony, used to great effect at various parts of the play, particularly in a pivotal climactic scene. A fairly static stage is transformed in the final moments in another ingenious touch, with many of Herrin’s choices lifting the production substantially. 

Max Jones' design is similarly effective, with a map of Europe plastered onto the stage. The production may be mostly static, but it doesn’t stop the aesthetic from being beautiful, with a gorgeous use of lighting from Azusa Ono. Sound proves equally important with Elizabeth Purnell’s sound design creating an atmospheric setting, elevated by music underscoring the action, composed by Paul Englishby. It gives the sense that you are watching a movie at times, helping to immerse the audience into the story.

Rory Keenan delivers a charismatic and strong lead turn as Alec Leamas, perfectly bringing a sense of mystery to the character, with his hard-hearted, cold nature resulting in some great and often sweary responses. He leads the show with a magneticism that can gloss over some of the more uneven elements of the production. His relationship with Liz Gold, played by Agnes O’Casey, makes for some of the more electric scenes, with O’Casey the perfect counterpart to him, and making the play all the more interesting when they are together.

Elsewhere in the cast, Gunnar Cauthery is wonderfully sinister as Mundt, genuinely terrifying me in one key and very uncomfortable sequence. Norma Atallah gets two different but both fantastic roles, first as the largely comic Miss Crail, then the President of the Tribunal later on, with Tom Kanji another highlight in his turn as Ashe.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is a welcome addition to the legacy of John le Carré, bringing his marvellous tales to the stage for the first time. Long-time lovers of his work will find a lot to love about this, but I wonder how much those less familiar would feel? Having not read the novel or seen the original movie before, I essentially came into this production completely cold (please forgive the pun), and I wondered if that stopped me from connecting with the story as much as I would have liked. Perhaps it is necessary to have prior knowledge to fill in some of the blanks to get more out of it. Nonetheless, this is still an enjoyable couple of hours in the theatre - while it may have been the first time a John le Carré story has hit the West End stage, I hope it’s not the last.

The Spy Who Came In From The Cold plays at @SohoPlace until 21st February. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/the-spy-who-came-in-from-the-cold-tickets 

Photos by Johan Persson