The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is the first of John le Carré’s best-selling spy novels to be adapted for the stage. It follows Alec Leamas (Ralf Little), a disillusioned British spy, as he undertakes one final mission set for him by spymaster George Smiley (Tony Turner). It is a story full of adventure, love and, ultimately, hard decisions that make you question your own morals. I thoroughly enjoyed seeing this performed at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre as part of its extensive UK tour and I was impressed by how well the actors brought John le Carré’s world to life.
As an avid fan of Death in Paradise, I was beyond excited to see Ralf Little star in this play and I was not disappointed! His performance kept the whole show together and I felt that he performed with a good level of energy throughout. The same can be said of the rest of the cast, who all worked together to deliver a performance that was hard-hitting both physically and emotionally. The show was quite meta-theatrical at times, which was generally effective, although the setting up of the story at the start did veer towards feeling a bit heavy-handed.
I thought that the lighting, designed by Azusa Ono, was very effective for maintaining the tense atmosphere that this show demanded. I particularly liked how overhead lamps were used to create a more ‘homely’ atmosphere in certain scenes, and I thought that these were also used well in the transitions between the scenes since they helped to convey the passing of time.
Whilst I thought that the pacing of the show was good overall, towards the end there was a tribunal scene which I thought dragged on a bit. This caused me to feel slightly less engaged with the performance, although the standard of acting did not drop at all. For the most part, however, I was able to feel connected to the characters on stage for the vast majority of the performance.
Overall, I’d recommend this show to anyone who’s at all interested in spy fiction or who just loves to experience some exceptional storytelling. The show is in Sheffield until Saturday 9th May, and it is then continuing its UK tour until August, so there is still plenty of time to see The Spy Who Came in from the Cold!
Rating: ★ ★ ★ ★ ☆
