Review Roundup: INSIDE NO.9 STAGE/FRIGHT at Wyndham's Theatre

The theatrical world premiere of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith’s award-winning television comedy Inside No.9 is now open in London’s West End at Wyndham’s Theatre with a newly written story – Inside No.9 Stage/Fright.

This show features comedic, spooky and dramatic moments as fans of the TV show have come to expect, with some familiar characters and stories mixing with brand new material. See what the critics are saying...

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Alexander Cohen, BroadwayWorld:  You never know what genre an episode of Inside No.9 will deliver. Cramming all possibilities together, it’s little surprise that some of it will be crowded out. But the show is sold out. Inside No.9 diehards won't care. 

Brian Logan, The Guardian: It’s a slickly produced spooky wheeze, distinguished by Shearsmith and Pemberton’s clearly personal obsession with the double-act dynamic and old-school entertainment, and with theatres and their ghosts. One gets the impression they’d happily haunt the Wyndham’s stage centuries hence – failing which, the echo of tonight’s gasps and giggles should at least linger for quite some time.

Daz Gale, All That Dazzles: There is so much more I would like to talk about with this show but to do so would be to spoil it massively. The twists, turns and huge surprises need to be seen to be believed and are best experienced yourself – the less you know about this show, the better.

Nick Curtis, London Evening Standard: The pair’s talent for misdirection and surprise is undimmed, and is put to service for some hair-raising shocks in the second half, a spoof of both Hammer horror and contemporary luvviedom.

Katelyn Mensah, Radio Times: While not much more can be said, audiences will be certainly left on the edge of their seats, unsure what will happen next, as Pemberton and Shearsmith meander around an astonishing script. The production is fabulous across the board, and I haven't got one slightly unsure word to say about it. What I will say, though, is if you're not one for the peculiar and horror – brace yourself! With plenty of jump scares and light flickers, you may find yourself with your hands in front of your face – but don't all the best horrors have you feeling the same way?

Anya Ryan, London Theatre: After the final curtain, critics receive an email asking us to “keep an air of suspense” about the whole thing. But what I can tell you is that Stage/Fright has all the classic No. 9 trimmings. Recycled gags? Tick. An element of surprise? Tick. And the cherished pair giving it their everything? Oh absolutely.'

Andrzej Lukowski, Time Out: Stage/Fright, though, is a delight, the duo at the peak of their powers. Running at well over two hours, it dips into the TV show – the first half heavily revolves around the episode Bernie Clifford’s Dressing Room – but it is a rare spinoff that feels totally a thing of the theatre. That’s partly a result of the pair’s long standing fascination with Grand Guignol, music hall, stand-up and other forms of Stage Entertainment (they of course began their careers in live sketch troupe The League of Gentlemen). 

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