The Spy Who Came in from the Cold – Sheffield Lyceum

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold brings John Le Carré’s 1963 Cold War novel to the stage, alongside plenty of carefully woven drama, deception and espionage. The Ink Factory and Second Half Productions take us on a tumultuous journey to East Germany alongside British intelligence officer Alec Leamus at the Sheffield Lyceum Theatre.

The play is well adapted by David Eldridge, with a relatively digestible storyline and many witty British references sprinkled throughout the script. It felt as though there was a lot of “telling”, with little “showing”, particularly in the first act. There were several times where characters, particularly Leamas, referred to the show’s title and broke the fourth wall, clichés that surely caused a few eyerolls in the audience. Yet, the scenes featuring Leamus and Gold had a palpable tension, and the second act was well paced, a credit to both Eldridge’s writing and Jeremy Herrin’s direction.

Ralf Little plays the leading role of disillusioned Alec Leamas, bringing both a strong emotional performance as well as well-timed comedy to the role. His ability to present the character as a real, multi-faceted person is admirable. Some scenes could’ve used more tonal variety, but with emotional turmoil and introspection being central to the role, it is clear that Little is well-prepared to put on a great show.

Playing Little’s love interest is Gráinne Dromgoole as Liz Gold, a British communist and librarian. I can only describe her performance as wonderfully charming, youthful and expressive. She navigates emotionally charged moments with ease, most notably during the tribunal. Dromgoole and Little bring a certain relief to the most sombre parts of the play through their natural chemistry.

Tony Turner’s George Smiley and Nicholas Murchie’s Control are dominant figures throughout the show, with Turner’s looming presence at the back of the stage within Alec Leamas’ mind being a constant reminder that something is awry. Eddie Toll’s Fiedler and Peter Losasso’s Mundt are also deeply compelling, with Losasso’s unmoved frustration lingering within the second act. I especially found myself reminiscing about Losasso’s seething, restrained anger as he shoved Little’s head into a bucket of water: it was genuinely chilling.

The ensemble demonstrated an incredibly strong performance throughout. They were consistently cohesive with one another and breathed life into transitional scenes. It was delightful to see the choreographed set changes done by the cast – it felt natural to the story, and each movement was sharp and precise; it was highly satisfying without feeling overstated.

Staging was particularly striking. The set remained minimal, often with just a table and chair set being positioned centre stage. I would’ve preferred to see a more effective use of the stage space, but having most scenes in the middle did feel logical, as the dark background, dim lighting and fog contrasted the spotlit scenes. The moving wall was highly unexpected and wonderfully engaging. The grid-like lights that descended from the ceiling and the flags flying in backstage were also fun touches that worked well to reflect changes in location.

A standout of the show was Paul Englishby’s composition and Elizabeth Purnell’s sound design. The underscoring was wildly tense, with evident wartime inspiration. There were times I wished sound effects were louder, but the music was complementary and elevated the show. Azusa Ono’s lighting design was also delightful, with most scenes lit similarly but greatly emphasising everything happening onstage. Costuming was also adequate, with most costumes sustaining a neutral colour palette, while Dromgoole as Liz Gold stood out in more saturated colours.

Although there were some drawbacks to the stage show, including a feeling of being slightly out of the loop for viewers like myself who have not read the source material, it is unfailingly electrifying and comes to a shocking yet satisfying conclusion. The play itself is truly gripping, with plenty of talent being demonstrated by the cast, creative team and production team.

Reviewer: Natalia Prucnal

Reviewed: 5th May 2026

North West End UK Rating: