middle aged, hard drinking, loose lipped, bad tempered

Radio For those of us who’re accustomed to the approach to spying portrayed in the likes of Spooks, in which agents have to cope with fictional disasters that are often just a couple of weeks away from reality and narrative pacing that runs quicker than a broadband internet connection, it’s quite refreshing to sit back with this adaptation of John le Carre’s The Russia House which slowly lollops along as spies conduct their business just inches away from a cup of tea and the most exciting action sequence involves an undercover agent driving through Moscow without a valid license.

This is the kind of old school caper that causes Harry Pearce to nostalgically weep into a late night glass of Glenfiddich waiting for Tariq the tech to hack a pen drive. Three years into perestroika, Barley Blair, a middle aged, hard drinking, loose lipped, bad tempered publisher with a soft interior is sent a manuscript by a wavering Russian scientist apparently exposing the Russian nuclear threat as a sham. The document is intercepted by British secret service and Blair is recruited to go undercover to confirm their veracity during which he falls in love with Katya, the sexy intermediary.

Cue three hours of mostly RP male accents urgently training Blair for his mission and only ever registering pleasure whilst awaiting for his covert recordings as they’re transmitted to London for analysis. Most of these figures are indistinguishable and only every become anything more than testy just in time to be replaced, which I think is le Carre’s point – that during the Cold War, diplomatic affairs that could have led to the deaths of millions were being conducted by humans with a cynical view of feelings and whose emotional responses had been trained out of them.

Cutting right through all that is Blair, who they’re generally apprehensive of because he’s capable of all everything they frown on, and as you’d imagine from reading the character description, Tom Baker’s perfect casting. With the same element of danger he brought to the Doctor (and also the constant suspicion that he’s improvising most his lines) he walks away with all of his scenes, imbuing in Blair the gleefulness of a man who’s found his calling but keeping his irascibility in check for the common cause. Frankly, it’s his performance which makes this a must listen.

The only occasions Baker seems less at ease is with the love story. He’s still charming, but there’s little room between the spy stuff in Rene Basilico’s adaptation to really allow Barley to convincingly falling in love and although there are many passionate oaths, the coldness of the presentation (there’s no score) makes it seem rather clinical and academic. But at least the outcome feels more realistic and dignified than Spooks, where relationships always end with one or both halves of a couple being shot, boiled, electrocuted or blown-up.

John le Carre's The Russia House is released by AudioGo on the 7th July 2011. Review copy supplied.