On the face of it, the storyline of this production seems incredibly niche - and without an interest in Cold War espionage, it did cross my mind that this might not be 'for me'.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold is based on the 1963 Cold War spy novel by the British author John le Carré and the subsequent 1965 film starring Richard Burton.
It depicts Alec Leamas, a British intelligence officer, being sent to East Germany as a faux defector to sow disinformation about a powerful East German intelligence officer.
The story portrays Western espionage methods as morally inconsistent with Western democracy and values and the novel received critical acclaim at the time of its publication and became an international best-seller. In fact, it was selected as one of the 100 Best Novels by Time magazine in 2005.
I have to admit, I took my seat this evening with a certain amount of preconception in my mind. When a cast-list says 'Ralf Little', my expectations rise immediately - however this was never going to be The Royle Family or Two Pint of Lager, so would I be proven right?!
I think it's fair to say that this adaptation leans into what made the book so compelling in the first place: its moral complexity and its deeply human characters. This isn't a stylised reading of a 60s novel, this feels like it could be happening right now with characters that resonate with the audience.
Little is sublime as Alec Leamas, giving us a thoughtful yet understated performance, capturing a man worn down by years of lies, betrayal and impossible choices. It's rare that you can take such a solid comedy actor and see him turn his hand so eloquently to something more straight laced - but Little makes it look like a walk in the park, in the best way possible!
What is incredibly apparent from the start is that this production has pace to it. There's no time to search in your bag for a packet of mints, because within that 30 seconds you've completely lost your way. You need to stick with it because once you get it all straight in your head - and certainly once you've had some fresh air, a drink and taken your seat for act two, this becomes a gripping, thought provoking piece with an emotional climax.
Speaking to long-time fans in the interval, it was mentioned that this adaptation does have a lot of novel to squeeze into a couple of hours of play, meaning there are some elements which probably feel slightly rushed - but what makes up for that is a confident, articulate performance of a play which compels its audience to sit up and pay attention, which was incredibly well received.
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold plays at Birmingham's Alexandra Theatre until July 4th. Fir more information, or to get your tickets, visit atgtickets.com/birmingham.
