I wasn't sure what to expect when taking in a performance of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, as the UK tour passed by. I definitely wanted to see Ralf Little in the title role, but I've had a hit and miss relationship with John le Carré's work. This book has been my favourite so far though, so the odds were in its favour. And I absolutely loved it.

The production managed to capture the bleak, tense world of Cold War Britain and Germany, with pared back staging adding to the effect. There was no need for lots of scenery, the odd prop here and there helped establish where we were and what was happening, and the simplicity made everything feel colder and more claustrophobic.

The acting was what drove the play, though, with Ralf Little doing a brilliant job - the character was seemingly standoffish and unreadable but of course is really being constantly vigilant and calculating. You never quite know what he's thinking, or where things are heading, but the layers of espionage add to the tension beautifully.

I felt like the first half was quite wordy, you had to concentrate to keep up with the shifting loyalties and information being imparted. The attention pays off in the second half as the pace picks up and we get some more action - there's a particularly disturbing water torture scene that was quite difficult to watch. And then there's the ending, intense and brutal. It's the one thing that lives with me specifically from the book, and the play handles it really well.

This isn’t a production you can sit back and watch passively, but that’s part of what I loved about it. It demands your attention, draws you into its murky world of espionage and betrayal, and then delivers a second half that becomes increasingly gripping.

A brilliant production — atmospheric, intelligent and genuinely thrilling. I came out absolutely loving it.