Adapted from John le Carré’s 1963 Cold War novel, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold follows MI6 agent Alec Leamas, a man worn down by years of espionage in a divided Berlin. As Cold War tensions rise, Leamas finds himself questioning both his loyalties and his own identity as he’s drawn into one final dangerous mission.
Alec Leamas is played by Ralf Little, who I know best as Jonny from Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps. I loved him in that role, so I was initially sceptical about seeing him take on such a serious character. However, he completely won me over. He captured Leamas’ weariness and inner conflict brilliantly, and it was great to see him show a very different side to his acting.
Gráinne Dromgoole gives a strong performance as Liz Gold, the naïve librarian and devoted Communist Party member. She makes Liz a genuinely sympathetic character, and there were several moments where I wanted to shake her and tell her to stop letting herself be manipulated.
I particularly enjoyed Melody Chikakane Brown in her dual roles as Miss Crail, the library manager, and the President of the Tribunal. The contrast between the two characters was striking. As Miss Crail, she was sharp-tongued, dismissive and often quite nasty towards Liz, but delivered her lines with such good comic timing that she was great fun to watch. As the President of the Tribunal, she was stern, serious and completely commanding.
Peter Losasso as Mundt, the head of the East German intelligence service, and Eddie Toll as intelligence officer Fiedler were both excellent casting choices. I particularly enjoyed Toll’s accent, which added authenticity to the role, while Losasso looked every bit the intimidating East German intelligence officer.
I must admit I found the first half a little confusing. If you’ve read the book, I’m sure you’d have an easier time following the various twists and allegiances, but it took me a while to work out exactly what was going on. Thankfully, everything came together in the second half, and once it clicked, I really enjoyed both the story and the performances.
From my seat in the stalls, I felt I may have missed some of the detail in the stage design. I could make out markings on the floor, but couldn’t quite tell what they represented, and I suspect those in the upper tiers had a much better view. That said, I really liked the overall look of the production. The dark set and atmospheric lighting helped create the perfect Cold War spy thriller feel.
Overall, The Spy Who Cam me In From The Cold took a little while to win me over, but once it did, I was thoroughly invested. The strong cast, atmospheric staging and satisfying second half made for an enjoyable evening of theatre. While I occasionally struggled to keep up with the plot, the payoff was worth it, and I’d certainly recommend it to fans of Cold War dramas and spy thrillers.
John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is at Theatre Royal Brighton until Saturday 6th June 2026, with evening performances at 7.30pm daily and matinees on Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday at 2.30pm. Click HERE to book.
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