The comedy horror show coming to the Marlowe
Following a sold out West End run, Inside no.9 Stage/Fright is now going on tour to 11 venues including the Marlowe Theatre. Created by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith and Directed By Simon Evans, the show is coming to the Marlowe between 23 September and 26 September and will be shown in their main house. Our Reporter Jessica Allen saw the show whilst it was still running in Wyndham’s Theatre and has given us some insight into what to expect.
Before the show even begins, the audience is treated to a full acted out segment, providing one of the most memorable warnings on theatre etiquette I have ever seen. We are then introduced to the haunted history of Wyndham’s Theatre, creating a sense of unease and setting the eerie foundations for the show.
The lights cut and a scream echoes through the theatre, the first shock in a play full of jump scares, twists and dark humour, that keeps the audience on their toes throughout the 2 hour show.
The Inside no.9 series began on BBC 2 in 2014, and has since run for 9 series and 55 episodes with each episode being a self contained story, with the show coming to an end in 2024.
Fans of the BBC show will notice several call-backs to the Inside no.9 series, with the play opening to a piece from the ‘Bernie Clifton’s dressing room’ episode from series 4 along with several references to the TV show, particularly in the first half.
The special effects were especially impressive, the nature of a horror stage show naturally calls for some gory moments, but the effects of these are truly impressive and I feel sorry for anyone particularly squeamish in the audience.
Every night included a surprise celebrity guest, introduced through a kidnapping scene so that their face is covered until they are revealed onstage to an eruption of applause followed by laughter as the celeb guest is forced to improvise their way out of danger.
With tickets already selling out at the Marlowe the show really brings an air of familiarity to long term fans whilst still being able to make audiences laugh and shocking them with twists and jump scares.