Ralf Little returns to the Playhouse for The Spy Who Came In From The Cold

Ralf Little returns to the Liverpool Playhouse to lead the cast in John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came In From the Cold. A global bestseller for over sixty years, this production marks the first-ever stage adaptation of le Carré’s work. The play visits Liverpool for a strictly limited one-week run from Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 May.

Ralf Little said: “It is a huge privilege to be stepping into the shoes of one of John le Carré’s great literary creations, Alec Leamas as we bring the murky world of his Cold War masterpiece to life on stage. Despite being written in the 60s it feels startlingly relevant to the times we are living in now. I can’t wait to share this story with audiences old and new as we take it to cities right across the UK.”

Olivier Award nominated British actor Ralf Little (Presence, Royal Court Theatre; Death in Paradise, BBC) stars as disillusioned British intelligence officer Alec Leamas. Ralf is best known for his roles as Antony Royle in BBC’s BAFTA winning comedy The Royle Family with Caroline Aherne, Jonny in BBC’s much loved Two Pints of Lager and a Packet of Crisps alongside Sheridan Smith and Will Mellor. In 2013, Ralf Little led the cast of Peter Nichols’ comedy A Day in the Death of Joe Egg, a co-production between the Playhouse and the Rose Theatre Kingston.

Gráinne Dromgoole (By Royal Appointment, UK Tour; The Merchant of Venice 1936, UK Tour/Criteron Theatre/Watford Palace Theatre) stars as the idealistic, left-wing librarian Liz Gold, with Tony Turner (Dear England, National Theatre/Prince Edward /Lowry; The Archers, BBC) as George Smiley. They are joined by Nicholas Murchie (Present Laughter, Frinton Summer Theatre; Say Nothing)as Control and Peter Losasso (Emma, Theatre Royal Bath & UK Tour; The Comedy of Errors, Yvonne Arnaud)as Hans-Dieter Mundt.

Completing the cast are Eddie Toll (A Thousand Blows, Disney+; We Were The Lucky Ones, Hulu) as Fiedler, Melody Chikakane Brown (Life of Pi, East Asia tour; Redlands, Chichester Festival Theatre) as Miss Crail/President of the Tribunal, Jeff D’Sangalang (untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, the Royal Exchange, The Young Vic; Shut Up, I’m Dreaming, National Theatre) as Ashe, Jonny Burman (EastEnders, BBC; The Lazarus Project, Sky) as Riemeck/Kiever, Jo Servi (Barber Shop Chronicles, North American & U.K. Tour; Witness for the Prosecution, County Hall, London) as Pitt/Ford and Clara Wessely (Pericles, Bristol Old Vic Theatre School) and James Burman (Romeo and Juliet, ETD) as part of the ensemble. 

British intelligence officer Alec Leamas is weary, hardened, and ready to come in from the cold. But when Control, the Chief of the Circus, 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. And what of veteran spymaster George Smiley? What is his role in the operation?

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge (Beginning, Middle, End), is the first novel by John le Carré to be brought to life on stage. Le Carré is the undisputed master of the modern spy genre, whose works include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager. The director is Jeremy Herrin (Grace Pervades, People, Places and Things), alongside Tour Director Joe Lichtenstein.

Set and costumeis designed by Max Jones with lighting design by Azusa Ono, sound design by Elizabeth Purnell, composition by Paul Englishby, and movement direction by Lucy Cullingford. Casting by Matilda James CDG. 

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold plays at the Liverpool Playhouse Tuesday 12 to Saturday 16 May. Tickets are available here.