The Comedy About Spies London review – laugh out loud at the West End’s funniest new show

The Comedy About Spies is a slick spoof of spy movies packed with slapstick, sharp dialogue and plenty of surprises. Playing at the Noël Coward Theatre until 5 September, it’s already won over fans with its electric energy and farcical brilliance.

Read on for a full review, highlights and top tips to make the most of your visit.

What’s The Comedy About Spies about?

Set in swinging 1960s London – think technicolour pantsuits, suspicious leather briefcases and questionable sideburns – The Comedy About Spies follows the story of a rogue British agent who steals the plans for a mysterious weapon known as Project Midnight.

Cue an escapade of double-crossers and mistaken identities that brings a more literal meaning to the phrase mission: impossible. As the CIA, KGB and bumbling staff descend on London's Piccadilly Hotel, each hoping to outwit the other, the chaos begins.

What are the highlights?

The show opens with a bang – literally. It’s a high energy whirlwind from the first moment, full of witty wordplay and explosive special effects.

London’s MI5 is compromised, turning the spy agency into a frenzy. What follows is a fast-paced exchange of quips and puns, as secret agents quite literally make a song and dance of it.

A high chase ensues through the streets of London as a mysterious figure in, you guessed it, a trench coat, fedora and sunglasses, attempts to escape the scene of the crime. The comedic timing mixed with clever choreography creates a perfectly orchestrated pursuit of mishaps that has the audiences howling yet quietly impressed by each performer’s seamless traffic-dodging fluidity.

The staging is fast, fluid and full of surprises. Special moving floors and door frames glide into place as characters dash through each scene. From flapping newspapers to rogue radios, the props become part of the storytelling, seamlessly guiding the action. The doll’s house-style hotel set reveals multiple rooms at once, heightening the tension as characters move dangerously close to discovery. One wrong move – a creaky wardrobe, a dropped disguise – and everything could unravel.

Each character is a caricature – bold, brash, and instantly recognisable (albeit thanks to a few questionable stereotypes). You’ve got your gun-slinging Americans, uptight Brits, and brooding Russians who have a fondness for brutality. And it's not just the leads that are standout – the ensemble cast are just as vital, switching roles and accents and keeping up the pace for this high-speed farce.

Greg Tannahill’s Albert Tipton, the hilariously frazzled hotel manager, expertly channels the mayhem of comedic greats like Fawlty Towers and ‘Allo ‘Allo! As he desperately tries to appease his demanding guests and survive a looming hotel inspection. All the while completely unaware that a full-blown espionage crisis is unfolding around him.

Henry Lewis is equally as magnetic as Douglas Woodbead, a wannabe actor with a flair for dramatics. His physical comedy is standout, with facial expressions to match, especially during a showdown with overwhelmed humble baker, Bernard Wright, who finds getting caught up in a spy scandal is not his bread and butter.

And then there’s Sergei Ivanov (Chris Leask), a KGB agent who desperately wants to live out his double life dreams, much to the dismay of his ill-tempered partner Elena Popov (Charlie Russell). His dodgy northern accent and flair for fantasy were an absolute highlight, and I couldn't wait to see where his strange imagination would take us next.

All of this had the audience in absolute stitches – young and old, roaring with laughter. There’s barely any time to breathe between punchlines with the jokes being rolled out on a comedy conveyor belt.

Each scene brings a new surprise, each gag more ridiculous than the last. And just when you think it's all tied up, another twist arrives. The ending is so over-the-top and brilliantly absurd it had the crowd gasping more than once. This show not only kept us on our toes but had the whole audience on their feet for the curtain call.

Who will love The Comedy About Spies?

If you’ve come to London’s West End for an evening of heartfelt musical numbers and serious drama, this isn’t it. But if you’re up for a night of chaos, silliness and fantastically choreographed disaster, The Comedy About Spies delivers.

The Comedy About Spies is the perfect show for fans of farce, physical comedy and slapstick. It is especially ideal for tourists, first-time West End audiences or fans of Mischief Theatre's other hits such as The Play That Goes Wrong.

Final verdict: Should you see The Comedy About Spies?

If you want to be in on the joke, you really do have to be there in person for this one. Sure, some gags are a little predictable, but they land with a wink, a groan, and a grin.

The Comedy About Spies is silly in all the best ways – full of fast-paced farce, quickfire pubs and brilliantly bonkers stagecraft. The physical comedy is outstanding, and the set design is as playful as the script.

I challenge you to not leave with a smile on your face. By far one of the loudest and most joy-filled theatre crowds I’ve experienced in a long time.

Book your tickets to The Comedy About Spies now – running until 5 September 2025.

Make the most of your visit

The Noël Coward Theatre is one of the West End’s most charming venues, rich in history and character.

Make time for a drink at the bar where the walls are lined with production photos and stories from shows past, perfect for an impromptu theatre history lesson before heading into the auditorium.

Where to eat nearby:

• Luci: Authentic Italian restaurant bringing a taste of Milan to London. Enjoy a Negroni or two with simple yet bold flavours from a classic Italian menu.
• Dishoom: Popular Indian street food spot known for its sumptuous small plates and flavoursome grills, fancy salads and hearty side dishes.
• Mildreds: A vibrant vegan restaurant serving delicious plant-based dishes using fresh and seasonal ingredients which can be perfectly paired with punchy cocktails.

Discover more food and drink in London and the top things to do in Covent Garden.

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