In The Circus that is British Intelligence, it’s impossible to distinguish friends from enemies, let alone when you are being played.
John Le Carré’s 1963 espionage thriller, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold, highlights this with a forensic detachment as layer upon layer of intrigue and duplicity intertwine, all in the name of the greater good.
That creates a challenge for David Eldridge, who has adapted the Cold War story for the stage, bringing Le Carre’s now iconic creations George Smiley, Control and Alec Leamas to life in the confines of a fixed set and just under two hour running time. It’s a big ask and not always as engaging as it should be even with Max Jones’ oppressive stage design conjuring up the period evocatively, boasting as it does the foreboding spectre of the Berlin Wall, which looms large in the background.
Welcome to a shadow world of people who do despicable, sometimes wicked, things so the rest of us can sleep safely in our beds at night.
At Festival Theatre, until 25 April.
