REVIEW: Inside No. 9 Stage/Fright - Edinburgh Playhouse until Saturday, November 29
Surprises were always at the heart of Inside No. 9 during its, appropriately, nine-series run on BBC2.
It was a slow-burner in terms of attracting viewers but by the final series-end late last year the very black comedy, created, written and performed by Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, was an established cult favourite and, if anything, its reputation has only grown since departing the small screen.
But the vehicle was obviously too good a comedic opportunity to completely leave behind for buddies Steve and Reece and the stage show, a smash hit in the West End earlier this year, is now on tour.
What can the audience in Edinburgh expect? Well, without giving too much away, surprises, and lots of them.
As with the TV series, the performance ends with a major twist that re-frames the entire story - nothing is really as it seems.
But the creators have widened the canvas on stage to pay homage to the original concept but also to offer wholly new material tailored for the live-theatre format, and it's a horror-packed delight from beginning to end, always macabre, thought-provoking and, on occasion, laugh-out-loud funny.
Act 1 begins with a theatre-in-a-theatre framing device. We are in an audience watching a performance as an audience member becomes increasingly frustrated with fellow theatregoers' distractions. After some familiar segments the play moves into entirely new narratives - metaphysical, ghostly and unsettling.
Theatrical tricks are used: shifting sets, live-video projections, jump-scare and meta commentary on theatre itself.
It's a thrilling experience during which the haunted-theatre premises become real. Blurring reality the play constantly keeps the audience unsure, on edge, playing with theatrical conventions (curtains, lighting, audience behaviour, stage-within-a-stage) that are used to further unsettle expectations.
The play is also a commentary - perhaps on the darkness that can lurk behind theatrical glamour: obsession, jealousy, murder and psychological instability, all dressed up as "just a play".
Following a precedent set on the rest of the tour high-profile guest stars add further surprises - as they did throughout the TV series - to the provocative proceedings. A famous Scottish-born comedy actor turned up last night with a specially-tailored segment, but I'll keep shtum on his identity. Who knows if he'll re-appear for the rest of the Edinburgh run. Further surprises may await.
Beautifully staged, expertly acted and thrillingly original, Stage/Fright does exactly what it says on the tin, with an added twist or two just for good measure.
PAUL KELLY/IRINI PITSAKI