Reece Shearsmith
- 55 years old
- English
- Actor and writer
Press clippings Page 66
Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton discuss new show
"We hope there's an 'oh my God' moment. There is always a desire to wrong-foot the viewer. That's what you strive to do."
Bruce Dessau, The Independent, 2nd February 2014Inside No. 9 is magnificent. It is the latest series to emerge from the dark imaginations of Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, the pair who were also responsible for Psychoville & The League of Gentlemen (with Mark Gatiss and Jeremy Dyson).
Their new series consists of six self-contained, bleakly comic dramas set in six very different No 9s, ranging from a suburban home to a country pile. Like all the best short stories or one-act plays, tonight's episode works with a deceptive and outrageous simplicity. A group of characters are playing a game of sardines. One after the other, they squeeze into a cupboard. Some are partners. Some are engaged. Some are work colleagues. Some have ugly histories in common, and one is a stranger to hygiene. Between them, they cover a wide variety of social backgrounds, sexual orientations and age groups. If a bomb dropped on the cupboard where they were hiding, a good portion of the acting talent in this country would be wiped out.
The high quality ensemble includes Anne Reid, Julian Rhind-Tutt, Katherine Parkinson, Anna Chancellor and Timothy West, all of whom squeeze in alongside Pemberton and Shearsmith. However, this isn't just an inspired set-up performed by a stellar cast, it builds to a macabre and horribly imagined climax.
David Chater, The Times, 1st February 2014Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton interview
"When Gemma Arterton said yes, we were quite surprised, because she's a big movie star. She just said, 'Well I don't read scripts like this' and that made us feel very excited."
Western Morning News, 31st January 2014Reece Shearsmith interview
As his new collaboration with Steve Pemberton - Inside No. 9 - comes to our screens, Reece Shearsmith talks about his inspirations, so-called 'dark comedy' and a possible League Of Gentlemen reunion...
Jay Richardson, Chortle, 29th January 2014Inside No. 9 review
Inside No. 9 played with familiar themes Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith have dealt with in the past, but it had a sustained air of maturity about it that's felt only fleeting in their previous work.
Dan Owen, MSN Entertainment, 29th January 2014BBC Two orders second series of Inside No. 9
The BBC has ordered a second series of Inside No. 9, the new comedy from Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, before the first series has even started.
British Comedy Guide, 29th January 2014TV Preview: Inside No. 9
Fans of Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith's previous work will know they like to combine the hilarious with the genuinely unsettling, and this series is no exception. Causing huge laughs and genuine fear by turns, Inside No. 9 will certainly be one to watch.
The Velvet Onion, 20th December 2013Reece Shearsmith to star in Grease 2 concert
Reece Shearsmith is to star in Cool Rider, the Grease 2 concert that takes place at the Lyric Theatre in London next year.
The Stage, 7th November 2013Reece Shearsmith: I'm very unsure of myself as a person
Starring in a new film and two sitcoms, the fourth member of The League of Gentlemen is about to become a lot more visible. Not that he wants to.
Brian Logan, The Guardian, 10th July 2013Reece Shearsmith interview: 'I'm not a personality'
He's written and starred in cult comedies The League of Gentlemen and Psychoville, but Reece Shearsmith has been quietly expanding his work to embrace theatre and now film - and all the while keeping under the radar.
Clare Black, The Scotsman, 6th July 2013