Review: THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD - Liverpool Playhouse (12/05/26)

Brilliant writing let down by rushed direction and wobbly presentation of the text

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There is a beautiful sense of irony in former British intelligence officer John Le Carré's best known and most successful spy novel, "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold", being the work that allowed him to leave MI6 to pursue writing full time, though the push provided by Kim Philby's betrayal to the KGB would possibly also have been welcomed in some perverse way. This considered, La Carré is perhaps more qualified than anyone else to be writing spy fiction, as the former MI5 and MI6 operative provides us with a unique, lived insight into Britain during the Cold War, with a work deeply rooted in his own experiences.

Fast forward 60 years, and we finally get to see these scenes acted out on stage, so it seems to me a grave betrayal that such an authentic account of these events ends up feeling so completely lacking in substance, and while the text itself oozes sophistication, one cannot say the same of how it's been adapted or directed. Condensed into a runtime of just around two hours, this staging for the most part feels rushed, poorly balanced, and unevenly paced, with an abundance of sharp, fast paced exchanges between various characters. This works in places, but after a while becomes arduous, and essentially results in this play being devoid of any palpable suspense.

Ralf Little and Eddie Toll (credit: Johan Persson)

In theory, the story and its themes should effortlessly have our collective attention drawn for its entirety, as we follow wearisome intelligence agent Alec Leamas, as he fakes a defection to Soviet-controlled East Germany in order to frame his arch nemesis Mundt; there is espionage, betrayal, interrogation, and the moral ambiguity and amorality often associated with national security. By any means this should be a gripping, heart-stopping piece of theatre that has us on the edge of our seats throughout.

What becomes clear, though, is that director Jeremy Herrin failed to receive the memo, as we have a muddle of creative elements that seldom work cohesively, and line delivery that, for the most part, skims the surface of what could be achieved; there were scenes which worked well, especially in the second act as we approached the story's climax, but all too often the show's wobbly, rushed direction punctured the drama of the moment, with the more suspenseful scenes largely bearing the brunt of this. One does have to applaud the attempt at going down the more unfiltered, narrative driven approach, unfortunately this has all come at the expense of its theatricality and balance, and sadly, the inconsistency with regards to the acting performances only added insult to injury.

Ralf Little and Nicholas Murchie (credit: Johan Persson)

Try as he might, Ralf Little's pedestrian performance as Alec is far from convincing, he clearly throws himself into the role, but it all feels rather one-note and monotonous, though it must be said the way he handles being tortured and interrogated deserves plaudits. Likewise opposite number Gráinne Dromgoole does little to endear us to primary love interest Liz, more or less displaying enough good intentions, otherwise fairly wooden, and the chemistry between the pair of them is rocky at best. Thankfully this gives supporting players like Nicholas Murchie as Control, and Eddie Toll as Fiedler, their opportunity to really shine, and they more than take this bull by the horns.

Saving graces aside though, this wasn't enough to detract from this production's shortcomings, as the promise it built in the early stages ultimately built to very little, and ended up something of a damp squib. It is always a shame when a director's vision fails to land, and unfortunately, much like the Soviet Union itself, this play fell flat on its face.

★★☆☆☆ (2*)

"The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" runs at Liverpool Playhouse until the 16th of May (tickets)

{PR/Gifted tickets}