Inside No. 9 Heads to West End
- therevueuk
- May 3, 2024
- 2 min read
The award-winning BBC surrealist comedy series Inside No. 9, by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, will be opening in the West End next January.
The show, which will be titled Stage/Fright will see new stories mixed with some familiar characters, will open at the Wyndham's Theatre early next year.
On writing the show, Pemberton and Shearsmith said: “We’ve been asked about doing a live show ever since the series first started on the BBC, probably because each episode is like a mini-play. There are small casts and single locations, and we were definitely inspired by our work in theatre when writing the stories for TV.
“We are currently writing the script even as it goes on sale, but we are certain there will be plenty of new material and surprises for fans and newcomers alike. There’ll be something old, something new, something butchered and something… BOO! We want to use the different things a theatre show can offer in terms of comedy – a collective audience behaves very differently to a solitary one, the laughter builds and the shared enjoyment is infectious. So there’ll definitely be some big comic moments, but also something a bit spooky and more dramatic.
"Inside No. 9 viewers go into each episode not knowing what to expect and we want this to be the same for the theatre show, with the ability for each audience to experience the performance for the first time and go on that theatrical journey with us. On TV we have done everything from knockabout farce to psychological drama to full-on horror. We’ve chosen the subtitle Stage/Fright, which does suggest something theatrical and something unsettling. But to say any more would spoil the surprises and we would never do that. We want to deliver the perfect West End night at the theatre… we might even crack out a song if you’re lucky!”
No casting has been announced as of yet, although in keeping with the TV show, it's expected that Pemberton and Shearsmith will star in the production themselves. The show will be directed by Simon Evans with other creatives yet to be announced.
Stage/Fright will play at the Wyndham's Theatre from January 18th for a 12-week run.
