The Comedy About Spies at Adelphi Theatre

It’s likely not many were surprised to see Mischief Comedy revive last year’s smash hit The Comedy About Spies, especially when it was named Best New Play at the 2026 WhatsOnStage Awards. Based on previous universal acclaim, however, it’s also likely many were delighted for the return of this love letter to espionage over another eight weeks.

Initially debuting at the Noël Coward Theatre in April 2025, the spy spoof zigzags across CIA and Soviet agents attempting to outwit one another, inevitably descending into pandemonium. So, has much changed from last year’s sold-out run? Aside from moving to the Adelphi Theatre, a few alterations have been implemented, but only for the better.

Mischief co-founder (and co-author of …Spies) Henry Shields has spoken in previous interviews about how their original West End triumph, The Play That Goes Wrong, is constantly evolving with various rewrites and changes, ensuring the laughs stay fresh while staying true to its winning formula for the last 12 years. The Comedy About Spies has also benefitted from this approach, tightening and lengthening sequences and exchanges to wring every last ounce of laughter from the audience.

The side-splitting opening scene over lettered codenames is essentially the same (Agent O a particular favourite), while the lift chase sequence is now smoother yet somehow zanier. It’s a clear collaborative effort from director Matt DiCarlo and authors Shields and Henry Lewis to make the dialogue zing and the stylish visuals delight, with Johanna Town’s meticulous lighting design playing an indispensable part here.

The humour itself is quintessential Mischief, from milking groanworthy puns – “This plan is flawless!” is funnier than it should be – to the physical comedy erupting from four Piccadilly Hotel rooms, with David Farley’s set design once again proving instrumental in the bedlam of the first act. The second races across multiple scenes as the climax approaches; last year’s script fell somewhat flat in maintaining the pace, yet the 2026 version keeps up with each transition, making the final scene feel earned.

Also keeping up is the excellent cast, with multiple original Mischief players among them, including Shields and Lewis. The latter is simply hysterical as bumbling actor Douglas Woodbead – with some of the best lines in the whole show – and the former effortlessly injects hilarity and sympathy into baker Bernard Wright. The CIA characters brought to life by Dave Hearn and Nancy Zamit are inspired, Chris Leask and Bryony Corrigan’s Soviets provide a solid comic foil in their own antics, and Greg Tannahill’s prim and proper concierge elevates every scenario he appears in. This is a cast of old hands, and they’re excellent hands to be in.

As with every Mischief production, the work put into this one ensures it delivers on every farcical aspect imaginable, resulting in belly laughs and aching faces. With its sharpened script, superb cast and relentless silliness, The Comedy About Spies proves this is a spy mission well worth revisiting.

Gem Hurley
Photo: Mark Senior

The Comedy About Spies is at Adelphi Theatre from 1^st August until 26^th September 2026. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.

Watch the trailer for The Comedy About Spies at Adelphi Theatre here: