Reece Shearsmith
- 55 years old
- English
- Actor and writer
Press clippings Page 52
Binging: Inside No. 9
Deft, dense writing as funny as it's surprising and darker than the inside of a cow. Kiri Pritchard-McLean could yell about Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton's compendium of nightmares until her throat's raw.
Kiri Pritchard-McLean, Standard Issue, 5th January 2017Devil of Christmas review - macabre merriment all round
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton take us back to the 1970s for this nightmarish festive folk tale.
Rebecca Nicholson, The Guardian, 28th December 2016Inside No. 9 review
It's a gargantuan, incredibly precise task to make such gloriously terrible TV, a skill reserved for only the greatest of comics. But Inside No. 9 achieves it - a demented, finely-honed comedy that also works as a twist-filled Christmas mystery.
Adam White, The Telegraph, 28th December 2016Review: Reece Shearsmith in 'The Dresser'
Reece Shearsmith's Norman is one of the great stage performances of recent times in a production of The Dresser that is exemplary in every way and as close to perfection as it gets.
Dodo's Words, 28th December 2016Before the third series starts, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are treating us to a seasonally-twisted special of their anthology comedy, Inside No.9.
It is Austria, Krampusnacht, December 1977. Julian Devonshire (Steve Pemberton), his pregnant wife Kathy (Jessica Raine), their son Toby and mother-in-law Celia (Rula Lenska) arrive at the alpine chalet for a family holiday.
They are shown around by Klaus (Reece Shearsmith) who tells the family about the local legend of The Devil of Christmas. All the good children are given gifts by St. Nicholas, and all the bad ones are punished by the demonic Krampus.
But who has been good, and who has been bad?
Elliot Gonzalez, I Talk Telly, 27th December 2016How could I have doubted them? The two darkly brilliant men who write and star in this series, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, have never once let us down. Whether in The League Of Gentlemen or in this creepy anthology series, They simply do not put a foot wrong.
I was initially underwhelmed by this Christmas special. It was good but nothing spectacular ... and then it reared up and slapped me out of my complacency. It grabbed me by the lapels and shook me hard and reminded just me who I'm dealing with. The show is styled like a 70s BBC drama: streaky lights, shaky sets, wooden acting, clumsy shifts in focus and a wildly panning camera. It tells the tale of Krampus, The Devil of Christmas, who is stalking an English family as they take a winter break in a cosy Austrian chalet. A director's commentary is tacked onto the programme mocking its production values and gossiping about the actors - but nothing is as it seems and there's a fine twist. It's weird, bizarre and brilliant.
Julie McDowall, The National (Scotland), 27th December 2016Inside No 9: The Devil Of Christmas preview
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton have taken a leaf out of the Garth Marenghi's Darkplace playbook for the much-anticipated return of Inside No. 9, give or take a decade.
Steve Bennett, Chortle, 27th December 2016Inside No. 9 - The Devil Of Christmas review
Like with all of Inside No. 9 however, the real twist in the tale comes at the very end. Of course it would be bad of me to spoil it, which just goes to show what incredible writing talent Shearsmith and Pemberton have. The horror and dark twists certainly come as a surprise, while the commentary provides the humour. It is worth watching a few times because you can easily miss some gags.
Ian Wolf, On The Box, 27th December 2016Inside No. 9 Christmas special review
The opening episode of the third season of Inside No 9 is a Christmas themed nightmare, dealing with the old legend of Krampus.
Andrew Allen, Cult Box, 27th December 2016Inside No. 9: The Devil Of Christmas review
The Inside No. 9 Christmas special is an expertly layered treat for fans of vintage horror.
Louisa Mellor, Den Of Geek, 27th December 2016