The Chichester Festival Theatre production of John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold will come to Salford in July 2026 as part of a major UK Tour
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 following his recent acclaimed productions of Grace Pervades, People, Places and Things and Long Day’s Journey into Night. Casting for the touring production is to be announced.
Following its 2024 sold out premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre The Spy Who Came In From The Cold will receive its West End premiere @sohoplace with a 14-week run from 17 November 2025 – 21 February 2026 ahead of embarking on the production’s first UK tour from 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.
David Eldridge says:
“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?”
THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD
Adapted by David Eldridge
Directed by Jeremy Herrin
LOWRY, SALFORD
WEDNESDAY 22nd TO SATURDAY 25th JULY 2026
ON SALE OCTOBER 10th
