Full cast announced for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (play) UK Tour

Lisa in the theatre
Feb 21
3 min read

Updated: Apr 13

The full cast has now been announced for the UK Tour stage adaptation of John le Carre's The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, arriving at Theatre Royal Glasgow this May. Find the full details below.

Full cast announced for The Spy Who Came in from the Cold play UK Tour

The full cast, who will join Ralf Little in John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, have now been revealed.

The Ink Factory and Second Half Productions have announced the full cast for the extensive UK-wide tour of the Chichester Festival Theatre production of John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold. The tour will arrive at the Theatre Royal Glasgow from Tuesday 26 May - Saturday 30 May 2026.

Ralf Little (Death in Paradise, God of Carnage, The Royle Family) will star as disillusioned British intelligence officer Alec Leamas, with Gráinne Dromgoole (By Royal Appointment, The Merchant of Venice 1936) as the idealistic, left-wing librarian Liz Gold. Tony Turner (Dear England, The Archers) will play George Smiley, with Nicholas Murchie (Present Laughter, Say Nothing) as Control and Peter Losasso (Emma, The Comedy of Errors) as Hans-Dieter Mundt.

Completing the cast are Eddie Toll (A Thousand Blows, We Were The Lucky Ones) as Fielder, Melody Chikakane Brown (Life of Pi, Redlands) as Miss Crail/President of the Tribunal, Jeff D’Sangalang (untitled f*ck m*ss s**gon play, Shut Up, Im Dreaming) as Ashe, Jonny Burman (EastEnders, One Under Par) as Riemeck/Kiever, Jo Servi (Barber Shop Chronicles, Witness for the Prosecution) as Pitt/Ford and Clara Wessely (Pericles) and James Burman (Romeo & Juliet) as part of the ensemble.

Ralf Little said:

Ralf Little for The Spy who came in from the cold play. Photo Michael Wharley 2026 — Ralf Little. Photo: Michael Wharley 2026

"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. I first read The Spy Who Came in From the Cold when I was 16 and it has stayed with me ever since. Reading David Eldridge's brilliant script, I once again found myself drawn into the story's unexpected twists and turns, its high-stakes game of cat-and-mouse between East and West, which David has captured so thrillingly in the play. 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."

About The Spy Who Came in from the Cold play

Adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge (Festen, End) this is the first novel by John 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 (Guess How Much I Love You, Grace Pervades, and People, Places and Things), alongside Tour Director Joe Lichtenstein.

Following its 2024 sold out premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre The Spy Who Came In From The Cold received its West End premiere @sohoplace in November 2025.

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?

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 le Carré at his most incisive — a story of betrayal not only between nations, but within the human soul.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, is 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. General Management is by Second Half Productions with Melting Pot as Executive Producer for the UK Tour.

The Chichester Festival Theatre production of John le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, is produced by The Ink Factory and Second Half Productions.