The Comedy About Spies Review at Adelphi Theatre London

The Comedy About Spies delivers exactly what it promises and then some, with a night full of laughter and mishaps, from the team behind the smash-hit The Play That Goes Wrong, which has had the West End in stitches for more than a decade. Billed as this summer’s hottest mission, it plays a limited 8-week season at the Adelphi Theatre and guarantees a fun night out.

Mischief Theatre excels at this wonderful type of comedy that can only work with a live audience, because there truly is magic in the suspension of belief. There exists an unwritten contract to which both the actors and audience have agreed: to commit and believe utterly in the nonsense and wherever that may lead. There’s something brilliant about watching live performances of rehearsed mayhem, and the connection between the audience and the hilarity on stage is what makes it so enjoyable.

Written by Henry Lewis and Henry Shields, who also star in the cast, The Comedy About Spies is packed with all the gags you might expect from a spy story. Never mind the plot; it’s the situation the spies find themselves in that provides our chief entertainment, with the English language exploited to full effect in an evening of constant double entendres.

Directed by Matt DiCarlo with tremendous pace, this is a farcical celebration of the classic vintage spy films. Set in 1960s London and centred around Cold War espionage, MI6, the CIA and the KGB collide in their efforts to intercept the top-secret files of Project Midnight.

The talented ensemble cast maintains a riotous energy throughout the evening, and Movement Director Shelley Maxwell has choreographed an impressive array of slapstick, physical comedy and fight scenes that keep the action in constant flow.

Co-writer Henry Lewis unsurprisingly owns his material as actor Douglas Woodbede, preparing to audition for James Bond but thwarted at every turn by the espionage chaos unfolding around him. Lewis shares an incredible stage rapport with his co-writer Henry Shields and their scenes together provide a glimpse into how the creation of this comedy may have ensued. Shields as Bernard Wright, a civilian who finds himself pressured into becoming a double agent, brings a dejected haplessness to the role, another shade of comedy in perfect counterpoint to the bravado comedy of Lewis’ actor. Recurring scenes with the hotel manager are also especially funny, with Greg Tannahill offering a marvellous foil as Albert Tipton.

The set design by David Farley features an art deco lobby of the Piccadilly Hotel, which feels right at home in the lovely Adelphi Theatre. This develops into a doll house style set to allow the scenes to play out simultaneously across several of the hotel rooms, and later expands to include travelators and lift shafts as the action accelerates around the entire hotel. The lighting design by Johanna Town works to keep each scene or gag bouncing into the next. Costume Designer Deborah Andrews helps to create distinct characters with sharp and colourful portraits.

Each actor brings different comedy strengths to the ensemble, adding an array of colours to the humorous palette of the show. Bryony Corrigan shines as KGB agent Elena Popova, slipping between Russian and British accents seamlessly and maintaining a dry humour. Chris Leask as her hopeless partner Sergei Ivanov is especially adept at physical comedy. Adele James is comic book perfection in her freeze frame reactions as Rosemary Wilson. Dave Hearn is the action hero as CIA agent Lance Buchanan, with special mention to his body double (no spoilers!), and Nancy Zamit plays his mother Janet Buchanan with wild abandon.

By name and nature, this truly is Mischief Theatre and the enthusiastic audience lapped up every silly moment!

The Comedy About Spies plays at the Adelphi Theatre until 26 September 2026.

Where I Sat

I sat in Stalls G23 for this performance of The Comedy About Spies. These are premium seats with a central view, but imperfectly staggered with the row in front, requiring some leaning and awkward angles. Seating is plush with plenty of legroom. 

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Reviewed by Patrick Jeremy for SeatPlan, August 2026