The return of George Smiley's Circus and stage adaptation of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

Press Release

George Smiley’s ‘Circus’ returns: with The Taper Man the new novel from John le Carré’s son, Nick Harkaway, and the first stage adaptation of The Spy Who Came in from the Cold to London’s West End 

John le Carré’s son, writer Nick Harkaway, announces a new novel, The Taper Man, featuring his father’s iconic spy, George Smiley, for publication in 2026. The new work will continue the plotline explored in Karla’s Choice, Harkaway’s critically acclaimed, Sunday Times bestseller (published in hardback in Oct 2024 and in paperback on 22 May 2025). Simultaneously announced today, le Carré’s The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, will premiere in the West End this autumn. Adapted by award-winning playwright and screenwriter David Eldridge and directed by Jeremy Herrin, this is the first novel by the undisputed master of the modern spy genre to be brought to life on London’s stage. Following a sold out premiere at Chichester Festival Theatre in 2024, the play will be produced by Ink Factory and Second Half Productions in association with Nica Burns. Smiley’s American investigation.

In his new novel, Nick Harkaway will send George Smiley for the first time on an operation to America, pursuing an old communist network across the West Coast. It’s 1965, eighteen months after the events of Karla’s Choice, and within the missing decade between the two instalments in the Smiley Saga, The Spy who Came in from the Cold and of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Against the backdrop of the Civil Rights era and the Vietnam War, Smiley finds himself dealing with a crisis involving the ‘Cousins’, which throws him once again in a struggle to find a path in the dark. To whom does he owe his allegiance? To this investigation in America or to the wider geopolitical gameboard? Viking’s publishing director Harriet Bourton and commissioning editor Edd Kirke acquired UK & Commonwealth rights from Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown and agent to the le Carré estate. Nick Harkaway is represented by Patrick Walsh at Pew Literary.

Harriet Bourton, Viking Publishing Director, says: ‘Karla’s Choice proved to be one of the great espionage novels of recent times and it’s so incredibly exciting to be continuing George Smiley’s story with The Taper Man. The reader couldn’t be in more expert or ingenious hands with Nick. He has taken on a legacy and made it his own, and we are so ambitious about reaching a huge audience with this extraordinary new addition to the iconic literary world of John le Carré.’ 

Nick Harkaway says: ‘It’s an enormous pleasure to be working with George Smiley again, this time following the breadcrumbs of a messy debacle in Helsinki all the way to the US west coast, uncovering the truth of Karla’s 1950s network in California, and pursuing Roy Bland into the USSR. It’s time to meet our American Cousins.’ 

Smiley to be brought to life in West End production 

A global bestseller for over six decades and named one of TIME Magazine’s All-Time 100 Novels, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold will be adapted for the stage @sohoplace, running from 17 November 2025 until 21 February 2026. This production will star Rory Keenan (Somewhere Boy, The Regime) and Screen International Star of Tomorrow Agnes O’Casey (Lies We Tell, Black Doves) playing disillusioned British intelligence officer Alec Leamas and the idealistic, left-wing librarian Liz Gold. John Ramm (King Lear, Wolf Hall/Bring Up The Bodies) and Gunnar Cauthery (Dear England, Mack & Mabel) will take on George Smiley and Hans-Dieter Mundt. 

Clare Cornwell, Director of the John le Carre estate says, ‘The John le Carre estate is delighted to be celebrating the return of the Circus and George Smiley through these two new projects: Nick’s new novel and the first ever stage play of one of John le Carre’s works coming to the West End.’ 

Nick Harkaway Picture - © Ula Soltys

John le Carré picture ©Nadav Kandar