Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's 'Inside No 9' to be adapted for the West End

The TV show's original creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith will star in the West End adaptation when it opens next year.

A stage adaptation of television comedy Inside No 9 will arrive in the West End next year. The show opens for a 12-week run at Wyndham's Theatre from 18 January 2025.

The TV show's original writers and performers Steve Pemberton (The Pillowman) and Reece Shearsmith (A Very Expensive Poison) will star in the West End show, titled Stage/Fright, which will blend original material with familiar characters from the series.

Speaking about the announcement, Pemberton and Shearsmith said: “We’ve been asked about doing a live show ever since the series first started on the BBC, probably because each episode is like a mini-play. There are small casts and single locations, and we were definitely inspired by our work in theatre when writing the stories for TV.

“We are currently writing the script even as it goes on sale, but we are certain there will be plenty of new material and surprises for fans and new-comers alike. There’ll be something old, something new, something butchered and something… BOO! We want to use the different things a theatre show can offer in terms of comedy – a collective audience behaves very differently to a solitary one, the laughter builds and the shared enjoyment is infectious. So there’ll definitely be some big comic moments, but also something a bit spooky and more dramatic.”

Inside No 9 is about to end on TV with the ninth series returning on 8 May on BBC Two and iPlayer. Each 30-minute episode is a self-contained story with new characters and a new setting, with the stories linked only by the number nine in some way.

Pemberton and Shearsmith, who created British comedy horror sitcom The League of Gentlemen alongside Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson, have also revealed that there could be more stage adaptations in the future through their new IN9 Theatre Company.

Further casting and creative team is yet to be announced.

Check back for Stage/Fright tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. (Photo courtesy of production)