The tour will open at Leicester Curve on 12 March 2026 and run through to August 2026, including performances at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tue 14 – Sat 18 Jul 2026.

Adapted for the stage by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge (Festen, End), this marks the first stage adaptation of a novel by le Carré – the undisputed master of modern espionage, whose works include Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy and The Night Manager. The production will be directed by Jeremy Herrin, following his acclaimed work on Grace Pervades, People, Places and Things, and Long Day’s Journey into Night. Casting for the UK tour will be announced soon.

Following its sold-out 2024 premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold will make its West End debut @sohoplace, running for 14 weeks from 17 November 2025 – 21 February 2026, before embarking on its first UK tour in March 2026.

British intelligence officer Alec Leamas is battle-worn and ready to come in from the cold. But when spymaster George Smiley offers him one final mission — perilous, deceptive, and deeply personal — Leamas agrees to stay in the game. Sent behind enemy lines, he finds his loyalties tested and his emotions disarmed by Liz Gold, a quietly determined librarian whose compassion threatens his hardened resolve.

A global bestseller for more than sixty years and named one of TIME Magazine’s All-Time 100 Novels, The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is a compelling story of espionage, deception, and moral compromise at the height of the Cold War.

The production features design by Max Jones, lighting design by Azusa Ono, sound design by Elizabeth Purnell, composition by Paul Englishby, and movement direction by Lucy Cullingford. General Management is by Second Half Productions, with Melting Pot serving as Executive Producer for the UK tour.

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?”

Jeremy Herrin, Director and co-founder of Second Half Productions, says:

“Rapt full houses in Chichester told us that John le Carré’s hit novel translates meaningfully to the stage and so I am delighted that we are bringing The Spy Who Came In From The Cold to audiences around the UK next year, following the production's West End premiere at Soho Place this autumn. The high stakes of the Cold War, the moral bankruptcy of both East and West, and the power of love when Alec Leamas eventually finds something worth fighting for, David Eldridge keeps us on the edge of our seats through the twists and turns of this shattering and thrilling ride. I can't wait for this next chapter.”

Simon Cornwell, co-CEO and co-founder of The Ink Factory, says:

“This first-ever adaptation of John le Carré’s novels for the stage has been received with warmth and critical acclaim, which is both deeply heartening and incredibly well deserved given the wonderful work of David and Jeremy. The tension of the story is palpable in a completely new way through this telling of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, unravelling betrayal, humanity, and the nature of truth live in front of audiences – and it’s wonderful to know it will now reach even wider through this national tour.”

Justin Audibert, Artistic Director, and Kathy Bourne, Executive Director of Chichester Festival Theatre, add:

“Following its sell-out run in 2024 at Chichester Festival Theatre, we’re thrilled that Jeremy Herrin’s outstanding production will be seen not only in London but across the UK. As one of the country’s leading regional theatres, we’re keenly aware of the vital role theatres play in their local communities; so for audiences in no less than 21 venues – from Brighton to Glasgow and Bromley to Cardiff – to have the opportunity to see David Eldridge’s gripping stage version of John le Carré’s masterpiece is hugely gratifying.”

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.

Performances run at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tue 14 – Sat 18 Jul 2026.