The spy novel that changed everything, now live on stage

ontargetmedia8
6 hours ago
1 min read

Secrets, lies, moral compromise, John le Carré’s world of espionage finally steps out of the shadows and onto the stage in a gripping new production of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold.

Ralf Little stars in John le Carré's The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, at Wales Millennium Centre — Ralf Little stars in The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, at Wales Millennium Centre

For the first time ever, a novel by John le Carré, the undisputed master of the modern spy genre whose works include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager, is brought to life in a thrilling stage adaptation.

Starring Ralf Little (The Royle Family, Death In Paradise), The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is a riveting journey through the fog-shrouded terrain of Cold War espionage, deception, and moral compromise.

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. And what of veteran spymaster George Smiley? What is his role in the operation?

Following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre and direct from the West End, this gripping new play written by David Eldridge (Beginning, Middle, End) and directed by Jeremy Herrin (Grace Pervades, People, Places & Things) comes to Wales Millennium Centre for 1 week only, from 28 April – 2 May 2026.