Publisher, AudioGo (April 2010)

Listen to a FREE audio clip.

"... a worthy audio version of the seminal spy drama, brilliantly depicting the complicated moral dilemmas of post-war espionage, and allowing Beale room to shine as the character of Smiley really comes into his own." —Herts Advertiser

"beautifully paced in a dramatisation which captures the essence of the book whilst working supremely well in its own right in the radio medium." —Chichester Observer

"This period dramatisation could not be bettered." —Observer

Smiley, wrestling with retirement and disillusionment, is summoned to a secret meeting with a member of the Cabinet Office. Evidence has emerged that the Circus has been infiltrated at the highest level by a Russian agent. Find the mole, George. Clean the stables. Do whatever is necessary. Reluctantly Smiley agrees, and so embarks on a dark journey into his past - a past filled with love, duplicity and betrayal.

Starring the award-winning Simon Russell Beale as Smiley, and with a star cast including Anna Chancellor, Alex Jennings, Kenneth Cranham and Bill Paterson, this epic dramatisation brilliantly depicts the complicated moral dilemmas of those who practise post-war espionage, and illuminates the murky corners of le Carré’s classic spy thriller - the first in the Karla trilogy.

About the Author: John le Carre was born in 1931. After attending the universities of Berne and Oxford, he taught at Eton and spent five years in the British Foreign Service. The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, his third book, secured him a worldwide reputation. His novel The Constant Gardener was made into a successful film. He divides his time between England and the Continent.

About Simon Russell Beale: Simon Russell Beale's career began in Edinburgh where he appeared in several plays before coming to London. He spent many seasons with the RSC at Stratford and at the Barbican in such productions as Restoration, Edward II and A Winter's Tale. Other credits include Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead and The Duchess of Malfi. He has also appeared on TV in A very Peculiar Practice and Persuasion, and has performed many times on radio.