Red poster for "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold," the classic John le Carré spy novel, with two figures walking and a bicycle, featuring credits for David Eldridge and Jeremy Herrin.

A man and a woman walk toward a fallen bicycle on a red background with bold text: "Spy Who Came in from the Cold," the gripping spy novel by John le Carré, adapted by David Eldridge and directed by Jeremy Herrin.

A man in a suit and glasses stands on a metal balcony, illuminated by a bright spotlight, evoking the tense atmosphere of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, with a corrugated metal structure and windows behind him.

A person with a bicycle stands on a stage under dramatic lighting, evoking the suspense of a spy novel, while another person sits at a desk in the background.

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

Tue 21 - Sat 25 Apr 2026

Venue: Festival Theatre

For the first time ever, a novel by John le Carré — the undisputed master of the modern spy genre — is brought to life in a thrilling stage adaptation.

The spy novel that changed everything

Based on the worldwide bestseller and named in TIME Magazine’s All-Time Greatest 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.  

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?

Following a sold-out run at Chichester Festival Theatre and a hit West End premiere, this gripping new play written by David Eldridge (Beginning, Middle) and directed by Jeremy Herrin (A Mirror, People, Places & Things) comes to Edinburgh for one week only. 