Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright
| Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright | |
|---|---|
 Wyndham's Theatre, West End poster | |
| Written by | Steve Pemberton Reece Shearsmith |
| Based on | Inside No. 9 by Steve Pemberton Reece Shearsmith |
| Date premiered | 16 January 2025 |
| Place premiered | Wyndham's Theatre, London |
| Genre | Black comedy Horror Drama |
Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright is a black comedy horror play by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, based on the BBC black comedy anthology series Inside No. 9. The show features references to the TV series, including a performance of the episode "Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room" as well as new characters and storyline.
Production history
[edit]West End (2025)
[edit]The play opened at the Wyndham's Theatre in London's West End on 16 January 2025 and ran until 5 April, starring Pemberton and Shearsmith. It was directed by Simon Evans featuring set design by Grace Smart, costume design by Yves Barre, lighting design by Neil Austin, sound design by Ed Lewis, illusions by John Bullied and video and projection design by Duncan Mclean.[1][2][3]
UK tour (2025)
[edit]Following the success of the West End run, the show will tour the UK in autumn 2025, starting at Churchill Theatre, Bromley (5–6 September) before touring to Milton Keynes Theatre (9–13 September), Sunderland Empire Theatre (16–20 September), Marlowe Theatre, Cantebury (23–26 September), The Alexandra, Birmingham (7–11 October), Manchester Opera House (14–18 October), New Victoria Theatre, Woking (21–25 October), Hull New Theatre (28 October–1 November), New Theatre Oxford (4–8 November), Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent (11–15 November), Liverpool Empire Theatre (18–22 November) and Edinburgh Playhouse (25–29 November) before returning to The Alexandra, Birmingham (2–6 December) due to popular demand.[4]
Cast
[edit]| Character | West End[5] |
|---|---|
| 2025 | |
| Himself Angus Len Shelby (Crackers) Vincent "Vince" Gannymeade (Goudron) |
Steve Pemberton |
| Himself Charles Tommy Drake (Cheese) Marcus de Lorde (Hugo/Director) |
Reece Shearsmith |
| Lisa Smelling (Madame Goudron) | Rebecca Bainbridge |
| Antonia Maggie Philbine (Cragg) |
Anna Francolini |
| Abby | Gaby French |
| Leanne Sherrie Leeks (Suzette) |
Miranda Hennessy |
| Daddy Jack Foundling (Warden) |
Bhav Joshi |
Celebrity guest stars
[edit]During one scene, a different surprise guest is brought on stage each performance. Guest stars during the West End run were Jim Howick, Ralf Little, Kevin Eldon, David Morrissey, Marc Wootton, Adrian Dunbar, Nick Mohammed, Katherine Parkinson, Gary Kemp, Martin Freeman, Matthew Kelly, Lee Mack, Alexander Armstrong, Daniel Mays, Mathew Baynton, Les Dennis, David Harewood, Tamsin Greig, Monica Dolan, Ophelia Lovibond, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Paterson Joseph, Mel Giedroyc, Denis Lawson, Sue Perkins, Dara Ó Briain, Rory Kinnear, Matt Berry, Mackenzie Crook, Mark Bonnar, Phil Daniels, Emilia Fox, Sarah Hadland, Gemma Whelan, Joe Thomas, Lenny Henry, Matthew Horne, Nigel Planer, Charlie Higson, Morgana Robinson, Mark Gatiss, Rob Brydon, Gareth Malone, Liza Tarbuck, Bob Mortimer, Julian Clary, Stephen Merchant, Robin Askwith, Matt Lucas, Jane Horrocks, Joel Dommett, Alex Horne, Mickey Flanagan, Josh Widdicombe, Joe Pasquale, Paul Chuckle, Michael Sheen, Stewart Lee, Chris McCausland, David Walliams, Pauline McLynn, Richard Osman, Tamzin Outhwaite, Clive Anderson, Stephen Fry, Paul Merton, Mark Addy, Adam Buxton, Elaine Paige, Jason Manford, Romesh Ranganathan, Neil Morrissey, Paul Whitehouse, Simon Pegg, Meera Syal, Robert Lindsay, Danny Dyer, Su Pollard, Danny Baker, Ross Noble, Professor Brian Cox, David Tennant, Sandi Toksvig, Sophie Willan, Miles Jupp, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Sir Ian McKellen, Louis Theroux and Jonathan Ross.
Awards and nominations
[edit]| Year | Award | Category | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Laurence Olivier Awards[6] | Best Entertainment or Comedy Play | Nominated |
References
[edit]- ^ "Inside No 9 stage adaptation to run in the West End with Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith". 2024-05-03. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ^ Lukowski, Andrzej (2024-05-03). "Inside No. 9 is coming to the West End with new story 'Stage/Fright'". Time Out London. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ^ Wiegand, Chris (2024-05-03). "Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith announce stage version of Inside No 9". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2024-05-03.
- ^ "Inside No 9 stage show with Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith to tour the UK". 2025-04-01. Retrieved 2025-04-01.
- ^ Staff Writer (2025-01-16). "Inside No.9 Stage Fright full cast announced". Theatre Weekly. Retrieved 2025-01-16.
- ^ Rook, Olivia (2025-03-04). "2025 Olivier Awards nominations announced, with 'Fiddler on the Roof' leading". London Theatre. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
