John le Carré’s THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD to embark on major UK tour in 2026
An extensive UK-wide tour of the Chichester Festival Theatre production of John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold has been announced, which will open at Leicester Curve on 12 March 2026.
Adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge, this is the first novel by le Carré - the undisputed master of the modern spy genre, whose works include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager - to be brought to life on stage. Jeremy Herrin will direct, with casting for the touring production to be announced.
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold will receive its West End premiere at @sohoplace with a 14-week run from 17 November 2025 - 21 February 2026 before embarking on the production’s first UK tour in March 2026.
British intelligence officer Alec Leamas is weary, hardened, and ready to come in from the cold. But when spymaster George Smiley presents one final mission — dangerous, deceptive, and deeply personal — Leamas agrees to stay in the game. 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.
A global bestseller for over six decades and named one of TIME Magazine’s All-Time 100 Novels, 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.
The Spy Who Came In From The Cold is designed by Max Jones, with lighting by Azusa Ono, sound by Elizabeth Purnell, composition by Paul Englishby, and movement direction by Lucy Cullingford.
David Eldridge said: “It has been a great privilege adapting John le Carré's youthful masterpiece for the theatre, and it gives me great pleasure that after the play’s West End run this autumn-winter season, we’re able to share the play with audiences across the UK on tour. Although set in the murky world of the cold war espionage thriller it’s a strikingly relevant story for our times. The Spy Who Came in from the Cold asks us how one can retain one’ s humanity and morality if one must operate with the same impunity and brutality as your enemy to defeat him?”
Director and co-founder of Second Half Productions, Jeremy Herrin, said: “Rapt full houses in Chichester told us that John le Carré’s hit novel translates meaningfully to the stage and so I am delighted that we are bringing The Spy Who Came In From The Cold to audiences around the UK next year, following the production's West End premiere at @sohoplace this autumn. The high stakes of the Cold War, the moral bankruptcy of both East and West, and the power of love when Alec Leamas eventually finds something worth fighting for, David Eldridge keeps us on the edge of our seats through the twists and turns of this shattering and thrilling ride. I can't wait for this next chapter.”
To book tickets for The Spy Who Came In From The Cold at select touring venues, please click here.