A Covert Affair – Belvedere Productions at The Hope Street Theatre, Liverpool

‘the set design. . . is well considered and allows us to segue between the respective scenes’

After selling out at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe, Belvedere Productions brings their romantic comedy packed with seduction and sabotage home to Liverpool ahead of a wider UK tour.

In the heart of the Cold War, Agent (Joseph Mihranian) and Comrade (Ella Sheree) have been tasked with a mission of seduction and espionage to get hold of state secrets. However, after several dates, the two end up falling for each other and find themselves having to navigate a tricky tightrope of half-truths and hope.

Created by Alex Macfarlane and Charlie Turner, the premise is a good one promising whip-smart dialogue and high-stakes tension in a heartwarming twist on the classic spy story, and whilst it starts strongly, there is not enough character development to move the plot forward. In fact, it’s not until post-interval that we really see much evidence of human emotion with a tender scene between the two protagonists and some very effective make-up.

There is much good humour and witticism in the opening scene when the characters first meet and there are certainly any number of directions the plot could go, including some false ones. What we get in the ensuing scenes however is much of the dialogue and behaviour repeating and becoming stereotypical. Voiceover is used effectively when the spies report into their seniors for the first time, with a clever interchange between the respective conversations taking place at the same time, with strong tech from Isaac O’Brien ensuring that the off-stage voiceovers from the controllers (Macfarlane as English Wire; Eva Riemens as Provoloka) were transmitted live creating an added sense of urgency on stage. Thereafter though this too got caught up in a repeat cycle of dialogue and consequence, and in the second half it felt more like filler as the two conservations were, more or less, repeated consecutively.

The set design by O’Brien is well considered and allows us to segue between the respective scenes, but as essentially a two-hander, we need something more. The adage of theatre is to show, not tell, but there are instances – the art gallery scene in particular – where we are overloaded with information and a different approach would pay dividends as currently the scenes are too dialogue heavy and the resultant action static with each character simply sat or stood.

Both actors perform strongly with Mihranian presenting well as the foppish, bumbling British boy whilst Sheree caught the accent and mannerisms of Eastern Europe to a tee. It served to keep the audience well engaged but equally added to the frustration because we want to see them and their relationship develop, something which is clearly in the capabilities of both actors who carry much of the action as best they can. In addition, Riemens provided good support as the Waitress during the restaurant scene.

There is a good idea at the heart of this piece but it feels like a shorter play written for the Fringe has now been elongated to achieve a fuller length but the original material just doesn’t stretch that far; I’d encourage the creative team to take that original idea but start with a blank sheet of paper and focus on a fuller story arc and character development to create a believable whole. The introduction of a separate director would provide the necessary challenge to the writing and through workshop with the cast result in a more fulfilling and rounded production: sometimes as a writer you have to know when to let go and trust in the process.

A Covert Affair performs once more at Hope Street Theatre, Liverpool on 9^th August, before travelling to Oxford Playhouse on the 13^th and 14^th August, Old Red Lion Theatre on the 6^th, 7^th, and 8^th of September, and The Swan Theatre Worcester on the 17^th and 18^th of September.

Review Date: 8^th August 2026

Star Rating: THREE