Over nine series and 55 episodes, "Inside No. 9" became a TV phenomenon, said Sarah Crompton on What's on Stage. Written by and starring Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, this darkly comic BBC TV anthology series was made up of 30-minute-long stand-alone vignettes that, with their combination of the eerie and the absurd, "sit somewhere between 'Hancock's Half Hour' and 'The Twilight Zone'". The series finally came to an end last year, making this spin-off the duo's "final hurrah". "Stage/Fright" is not as "groundbreaking" or radical as the TV show, but it is "great, all-encompassing fun" – and, owing to the TV original's legions of devoted fans, it is already sold out in the West End. However, a nationwide tour will surely follow at some point.
This is an "end-of-the-pier show meets Grand Guignol, a fond farewell meets Michael Frayn-ish metatheatre", said Dominic Maxwell in The Sunday Times. It "gives you the willies one moment and makes you giggle the next" – and is as packed "with ideas as anything on the London stage". Superbly acted by its two creators and a small supporting cast, and deftly directed by Simon Evans, the show features, in its first half, a reworking of one of the TV episodes, "Bernie Clifton's Dressing Room", about a comedy double act reuniting after 30 years; the second half, set partly in a Victorian asylum, is "even better". And the jokes, scares and illusions come thick and fast from the start: the "remember to switch off your phone" warning may be "the greatest, certainly the bloodiest, yet staged".
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
Jaguar Land Rover’s cyber bailoutTalking Point Should the government do more to protect business from the ‘cyber shockwave’?
-
Russia: already at war with Europe?Talking Point As Kremlin begins ‘cranking up attacks’ on Ukraine’s European allies, questions about future action remain unanswered
-
Crossword: October 5, 2025The Week's daily crossword puzzle
-
Mustardy beans and hazelnuts recipeThe Week Recommends Nod to French classic offers zingy, fresh taste
-
Susie Dent picks her favourite booksThe Week Recommends The lexicographer and etymologist shares works by Jane Goodall, Noel Streatfeild and Madeleine Pelling
-
6 incredible homes under $1 millionFeature Featuring a home in the National Historic Landmark District of Virginia and a renovated mid-century modern house in Washington
-
The Harder They Come: ‘triumphant’ adaptation of cinema classicThe Week Recommends ‘Uniformly excellent’ cast follow an aspiring musician facing the ‘corruption’ of Kingston, Jamaica
-
House of Guinness: ‘rip-roaring’ Dublin brewing dynasty period dramaThe Week Recommends The Irish series mixes the family tangles of ‘Downton’ and ‘Succession’ for a ‘dark’ and ‘quaffable’ watch
-
Dead of Winter: a ‘kick-ass’ hostage thrillerThe Week Recommends Emma Thompson plays against type in suspenseful Minnesota-set hair-raiser ‘ringing with gunshots’
-
A Booker shortlist for grown-ups?Talking Point Dominated by middle-aged authors, this year’s list is a return to ‘good old-fashioned literary fiction’
-
Fractured France: an ‘informative and funny’ enquiryThe Week Recommends Andrew Hussey's work is a blend of ‘memoir, travelogue and personal confession’
