Stoke-on-Trent’s Regent Theatre this week presents Inside No 9 Stage/Fright, written by and starring Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, and directed by Simon Evans. Serving up as many raucous laughs as hair-raising scares, the production is a live theatre extension of the pair’s award-winning darkly comic TV series, comprising standalone stories which each have a twist in the tail. Rest assured, no spoilers will be given in this review. 

Fans of the series will surely not be disappointed - but equally, viewers who have never seen the TV Show can dive head first into the stage production without any outside knowledge necessary. 

Pemberton and Shearsmith had their breakthrough in the League of Gentlemen, alongside Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson, and have since remained a co-writing comedy duo, with Inside No. 9 being their biggest success - the stage show, like the TV series, shows the pair’s love of creating spine-tingling horror, larger-than-life characters, and clever (to the brink of being groan-worthy) wordplay.

From the off, it’s clear that the play has been created with a constant, affectionate eye on the medium of theatre - and how its boundaries and quirks can be pushed. Act One features an expanded stage version of a TV episode, peppered with light-touch references to the series - again, there is no need to have seen the show beforehand, and if you have, prepare for a few surprises…

After the interval, a brand new narrative begins, with fresh spooks, scares and ghoulish moments, penned specifically for the stage. The onstage company - comprising Miranda Hennessy, Sarah Moyle, Gaby French, Bhav Joshi, Rebecca Bainbridge, Toby Manley, Mark Extance and Sophie Suddaby - all create memorable characters, with impeccable comic timing, and each actor masters the ability to build tension when things get spooky.

The production is undeniably high-budget - the set design by Grace Smart is opulent and evocative, and when combined with special effects and illusions - courtesy of Dan Martin, Ryan O’Conner and John Bulleid - breathtakingly tense and atmospheric. 

From the first moments of the play, the combined skill of its creators left the audience gasping and giggling at all the right moments. And this is the secret to Stage/Fright’s success - it’s not only an immersive scare-fest, but a shared experience. Last night’s audience were side-by-side, whether laughing, recoiling, or jumping to their feet at the end. There's no doubt about it - Inside No 9: Stage/Fright is a haunting and hilarious night at the theatre. 

Five Stars

Inside No. 9 Stage Fright was reviewed on Tuesday 11 November by Jessica Clixby at The Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, where it shows until Saturday 15 November