Review: Inside No.9 Stage / Fright is Equal Parts Funny and Frightening

Following a sold-out West End season, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith have brought the critically-acclaimed Inside No.9 Stage / Fright (the stage version of their award-winning television comedy Inside No.9) to Sunderland Empire.

From ‘ah!’ to ‘ha!’, the stage show is a tale of two halves. Violinists open the show with the iconic theme tune for act one, which is a nostalgic look back at the TV show with new sketches and hilarious additions to what we already know and love. Act two is a totally new experience (where more cast members shine) and has us hooked until the end, and the end… and then the actual end. When they say the show must go on, these two really mean it. Reece and Steve milk this as much as possible – so stick around even when you think it’s over.

Each performance sees a different celebrity ‘hostage’ perform with Steve and Reece. The West End run included cameos from Stephen Fry, Lenny Henry, Michael Sheen, Bob Mortimer and Rob Brydon. For the opening night at Sunderland Empire we’re graced by the hilarity of local Drag icon and the theatre’s panto star Miss Rory. Steve and Reece had to hold back their laughter at times and local jokes slide smoothly into place in the script which the audience lap up. 

What’s abundantly clear throughout is the trust within the friendship of these two incredibly talented northerners. They’re not afraid to joke within jokes and poke fun at each other, but they bounce off each other so well in so many entirely different (and difficult to master) roles – some familiar to fans of the TV show and some totally new ones. Their chemistry is what made Inside No.9 such a success. Although it wasn’t an instant success when it first aired (on BBC Two in February 2014), since the series came to an end last summer many new fans have found a love for Reece and Steve’s dark humour, cleverly crafted characters, and shocking twists.

Whilst viewers are used to a sleek and polished performance from the duo in each episode of Inside No.9, the stage show brings everything we love about the creation to a theatre, where anything is possible and no two shows are ever the same – but all are incredibly clever. Even when they’re making each other laugh so much their fake moustaches come off, that all adds to the joy of theatre. Even when Reece fluffs a line the quick-thinking cast remember to mock him at the end of the show. Audience reaction adds a new element to what we already love about the TV show.

Without wishing to give any more spoilers… there are jump scares throughout, a gun shot, gore, bright flashes and loud screams. So be prepared and don’t get too comfortable. Top tip: look out for the prop rabbit – it appears in almost (if not all) of the episodes, and of course in this theatre show.

Whilst ‘running out of ideas’ is joked about at one point, we think there’s plenty more life in Inside No. 9 yet. Or is that just wishful thinking? We’d love to see it back on screen (or stage) soon.

For now, Inside No.9 Stage / Fright plays Sunderland Empire until Saturday 20th September. Selected seats are still available but act fast! Watch all episodes of Inside No.9 on iPlayer now.