The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Dramatised) cover art

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (Dramatised)

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About this listen

 Simon Russell Beale stars in this BBC Radio 4 dramatisation of John le Carré's novel, which introduced his most famous character, George Smiley.

It is 1962: the height of the Cold War and only months after the building of the Berlin Wall. Alec Leamas is a hard-working, hard-drinking British intelligence officer whose East Berlin network is in tatters. His agents are either on the run or dead, victims of the ruthlessly efficient East German counter-intelligence officer Hans-Dieter Mundt.

Leamas is recalled to London where, to his surprise, instead of being washed up and consigned to a desk he's offered a chance to have his revenge by becoming a pawn in a brilliantly-conceived plot to destroy Mundt. But in order to do so he has to stay out in the cold a little longer...

Starring the award-winning Simon Russell Beale as Smiley, and with a distinguished cast including Brian Cox as Alec Leamas, this tense, compelling dramatisation perfectly captures the atmosphere of le Carré's taut, intricate thriller.

©2009 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd (P)2009 BBC Studios Distribution Ltd Espionage Spies & Politics Thriller & Suspense Scary
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This has to be one of the best spy thrillers i've ever enjoyed.



The story is an artfully crafted masterpiece, and the BBC's format of telling it doesn't skip a beat in building the tension.



You get a similar story format from many of Le Carre's novels, (like Bond: the enemy, the back-stabbers, the beautiful girl, the plot, the peril) - but each time there's a difference that makes each distinctive in its own way.)



The story for this is chilling and gripping from the start. It brings out the coldness of the cold war with style.



Not only one of my favourite audios, this is certainly my favourite of Le Carre's stories.

Gripping masterpiece

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This is a superbly acted dramatisatrion of the John Le Carre novel which had me gripped all the way through. The cast is uniformly excellent, but a particular mention from Brian Cox who is the 'spy' in the title. A very fine performance.

Gripping Spy Story

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A brilliantly dramatised version of the book. On par if not better than the film with Richard Burton.

The dramatisation is dark and claustrophobic with minimal background sound and only ever two people talking at any time which really makes you be in the room with the characters. The play immerses you into the atmosphere and you live each moment.

Brilliant and a sheer joy to experience!

Brian Cox as Alec Leamas is perfect for the role as big drinking, bitter spy on one last mission... Ruth Genmell as Liz Gold, naive and innocent... Another great performance. Simon Russel Beale is a scene stealer with his role as Smiley!

Well worth the listen over and over and over again!

Best of the Le Carre dramatisations

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Russell Beale and the rest of the cast transport one back to the civil service of the 60's with ease and atmosphere. Masterful.

Exquisite

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A great story from a great author who has first hand experience of the trade.......... The first Smiley and the first of many great spy stories by this man.

The Spy who came in from the cold.

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