Inside No.9 Stage/Fright
★★★★☆ Scarily funny
Playhouse: Tue 25 – Sat 29 Nov 2025
Review by Hugh Simpson
Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright, the touring production at the Playhouse until Saturday, is as scary and as funny as its many fans would hope.
Anyone familiar with Inside No. 9, the comedy horror anthology television programme that recently ended after nine ridiculously creative and successful seasons, will be expecting the stage version to provide an inventive mix of scares and laughs. That is exactly what is supplied by the show’s creators, writers and performers Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith.
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton. Pic: Marc Brenner.
Much of the appeal of Inside No. 9 comes from twists, surprises and not knowing what is coming next. This iteration is much the same, so this review will steer clear of spoilers.
Fans of the programme would be disappointed if the stage version was either entirely old or new material, and suffice it to say that while much of the narrative is original, there is plenty that is familiar.
Unsurprisingly, just as on television, there are plenty of ‘Easter Eggs’; some are obvious, some are of the ‘blink and you’ll miss it’ variety and there are undoubtedly some that will bypass even the keenest viewer.
It is difficult to imagine too many people who have never seen Inside No. 9 going to the stage version in the first place, but it is likely that they would still get a considerable amount out of this, even if they would miss much that would please aficionados. There has clearly been a great deal of care and thought put into how to present it on stage, and into how the original West End version would work on tour.
a return to their roots
Too often, television programmes moving into other media fail to make the transition smoothly; not to mention the faint whiff of a cash-in about so many of such ventures. Then there was The League of Gentlemen’s Apocalypse, the movie version of of Pemberton and Shearsmith’s earlier series with Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson. While undoubtedly a relatively successful example of the genre, it certainly is not an unqualified triumph.
This, however, is in many ways a return to their roots. The League of Gentleman appeared on stage (and won the Perrier award ahead of a shortlist ludicrously stuffed with future stars) before ever moving into broadcasting, while both performers have continued to appear on stage regularly. Anyone who remembers Ollie Plimsolls and Legz Akimbo will know that the duo have long had a deep familiarity with stage acting and its foibles and failures.
And there’s certainly a concern with theatre lore and practice here, which lends itself, for example, to incisive jokes about audience etiquette or the economics and casting processes of large-stage touring theatre.
The nuts-and-bolts of the theatre make up much of the storyline, and the fact that all of it is clearly based on something of a love-hate relationship just makes it all the more successful. The production has bit of an anthology feel itself, which is a clever tribute to the programme and the Amicus horror films that inspired so much of it.
horror leavened with humour
Unsurprisingly, much of it favours the Grand Guignol end of things, where the horror is leavened with humour, which is equally successful even if some of the jokes undoubtedly tend towards cheese (and crackers).
There is plenty of scope in the script for local references to be inserted successfully. This is not the only thing that evokes pantomime; there is the odd instance of fluffed lines or corpsing that is clearly intentional.
Pemberton and Shearsmith are very good indeed throughout. There is obviously so much love for them in the building that they could get away with a great deal of coasting, and it is to their endless credit that there is none of that. They are well backed up by a fine ensemble – Gaby French, Miranda Hennessy, Bhav Joshi and the excellent Sarah Moyle, with Rebecca Bainbridge, Mark Extance, Toby Manley and Sophie Suddaby also appearing. Once again, it would be unfair to explain too much about what any of them actually does.
Simon Evans’s direction is consistently clever. No expense or consideration has been spared in the staging – Grace Smart’s set, Yves Barre’s costumes. Neil Austin’s lighting and Ed Lewis’s sound are all spot on. Duncan McLean’s video is beautifully integrated, as are the illusions of John Bulleid and the special effects of Dan Martin and Ryan O’Connor.
The end result is almost ludicrously entertaining, and of great satisfaction to fans and newcomers alike.
Running time: Two hours 35 minutes including one interval
Edinburgh Playhouse, 18-22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA
Tuesday 25 – Saturday 29 November 2025
Tues – Sat at 7.30 pm; Matinee Sat at 2.30 pm
Tickets and details: Book here.
Eventim Apollo, 45 Queen Caroline Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 9QH
Friday 2 – Tuesday 6 January 2026
Evenings (not Sun): 7.30pm; Sat/Sun mats: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.
ENDS
