Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton on greatest Inside No. 9 guest stars
Who has been your favourite?
Inside No. 9 has one of the most enviable cast lists in British television, with each episode enlisting the help of top talent to breathe life into the frequently eerie stories of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton.
The anthology kicked off its final season last week, with a new episode – titled The Trolley Problem – due this week, following a psychotherapist who brings a vulnerable stranger back to his home (with unexpected results).
While the upcoming chapter is a two-hander between only Shearsmith and Pemberton, the season 9 premiere packed in a number of big names, including Siobhan Finneran, Susan Wokoma and Charlie Cooper.
Speaking in the latest edition of the Big Issue, the screenwriting duo said that they've "loved working with everyone" who has dared to enter No. 9, but did name a handful of people who stand out in their memory.
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Pemberton began: "Lorraine Ashbourne came in for Nana’s Party and it was such a specific character, the pathos and humour and tragedy, and she got every single beat. Sheridan Smith gave you an entire lifetime in just five days of work.
"Because we are taking most of the male roles, a lot of our male contemporaries have been shut out, but we loved Daniel Mays in Kid/Nap. He was so funny – threatening but with a lightness of touch and no vanity.
The co-creator also said Mark Bonnar was "brilliant" in last week's episode Boo to a Goose, adding that they knew he would be having previously collaborated on short-lived BBC Three series Psychoville.
Shearsmith said: "Rory Kinnear was so funny as a person and brought that Shakespearean stellar quality to Zanzibar. And Helen McCrory was great in The Harrowing and so delighted to do it – because I don’t think she was asked to do much comedy.
Pemberton added: "David Morrissey did so much research and brought such gravitas to The Referee’s a W***er. A lot of dramatic actors have loved doing a bit of comedy with us. I’m pretty sure everyone goes away and says it was a fun job."
Inside No. 9 has been acclaimed over its decade-long run for coming up with so many concepts and characters, with each episode being a self-contained story, confined to one location, and usually ending with a twist.
Read more from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton in this week's edition of the Big Issue, out now.
Inside No. 9 continues on BBC Two and iPlayer at 10pm on Wednesday 15th May 2024.
Check out more of our Comedy coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.
Authors
David Craig is the Senior Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest and greatest scripted drama and comedy across television and streaming. Previously, he worked at Starburst Magazine, presented The Winter King Podcast for ITVX and studied Journalism at the University of Sheffield.
