Meet the twisted minds behind , and Inside No. 9

042 JUNE 2014 The two of them, along with friends (who would go on to co-write ratings-smashing Sherlock, appearing as the eponymous detective’s older brother “Some people don’t Mycroft) and writer , started to run their own live sketch nights as The find it dark, others League Of Gentlemen – a knowingly ironic name for a group of northerners who were anything but. Without an agent or promoter, find it too squeamish. and through word of mouth alone, the show became an underground hit. News of this unconventional troupe But We never think, spread to the upper echelons of the BBC. They took a punt that there was indeed a place in the late ’90s television schedules, ‘what's the worst alongside tried-and-tested shows like and , for an innovative, genre-defying we can do?’” comedy series. In January 1999, 15 years ago, The League Of Gentlemen first aired on BBC Two, unleashing on the world the fictional northern town of Royston Vasey good taste by including a wheelchair- can only imagine the warped and and its bizarre inhabitants. Among them bound Make A Wish Foundation girl, a were the hairy-chested, transgender man with serious mental health problems, distorted nightmares that must keep cab driver Barbara and ‘accident prone’, and allusions to child abuse. animal-mangling vet Mr Chinnery; Victor Is it a case of anything goes? the creators of some of the most Meldrew they were not. “ don’t think anything is off limits,” says After three series, a Christmas special, a Shearsmith. “Inside No 9 is not that grizzly slightly second-rate feature-length film and or horrible, really. At nine o’clock on ITV twisted characters ever to have graced a slew of sell-out live shows, The League there are horrific dramas, but you’re was disbanded (for the time being, at least ready for it because the parameters are our television screens awake at night. – Pemberton and Shearsmith like the idea set, like, ‘OK, I understand that I might of a 20th anniversary reunion). Though the be shocked at this point.’ But if you’re show’s four creators remained close, they operating from the BBC comedy “I’m quite scared of cows.” We know them today as one of spent the next few years pursuing their department and suddenly you’re doing “It’s horses I don’t like.” the most established and best-loved own projects. But the friendship and horrible things, the shock is more extreme, “It’s the slowness of cows though. partnerships in , but their working relationship that Pemberton and because you’re not expected to do it. All They’re lumbering, with big teeth, and enormous, multi-award-winning success Shearsmith had enjoyed was too strong the drama is upped and all the moments they’re lolloping towards you…” was by no means an inevitability. Before to end there. “In The League Of Gentlemen, of horror are heightened for someone who “…Like zombies. Zombie cows – that The League Of Gentlemen came anywhere we fell into two writing partnerships, thinks it’s just going to be Mrs Brown’s would be the worst of all worlds.” near becoming a cult classic, Pemberton which were Jeremy and Mark, and me Boys… because it’s not.” But isn’t offence “It would, yes.” and Shearsmith were just two jobbing and Reece,” says Pemberton. “So it was a very subjective thing? “People used to Oh. Right. Well, who could’ve predicted actors from Blackburn and Hull, whose quite natural that when The League Of say of The League, ‘I can’t watch it; it’s the night-time fears of idea of a laugh was pretending to be the Gentlemen came to an… on-going hiatus, like a sitcom of Fred and Rose West,’ and (cow fearer) and Reece Shearsmith evil dwarf in Don’t Look Now. They had shall we say, that we’d go, ‘Right, what other people would be like, ‘No, it’s like Mr (distruster of horses)? From the minds of no natural place within the British comedy are we going to do next?’” and Mrs Tiggy-Winkle’,” says Shearsmith. these two men were spawned serial-killing circuit. They were outsiders. So it’s just people’s tastes: some don’t find shopkeepers Edward and Tubbs Tattsyrup, “I never believed that we’d end up where it dark, other people find it too squeamish. hook-handed clown Mr Jelly, voodoo wife we’ve ended up,” says Pemberton, the INTO THE DARKNESS But we never set out thinking, ‘What’s the collector Papa Lazarou and more than greyer-haired, larger-boned of the two. What did come next for the duo, though worst thing we can do?’” Even when they’re 100 other equally disturbing characters. “There’s an Oxbridge sort of , not until June 2009, was Psychoville, a tossing a dog against a window and Surely the writers and stars of legendary coming through Footlights and Radio 4 dark comedy with such brilliantly sinister stabbing it to death with an umbrella… dark comedy series The League Of and all that. Then if you went up to characters as serial killer-obsessed Gentlemen, Psychoville and, most recently, Edinburgh, it was all about stand-ups – man-child David Sowerbutts, Beanie Inside No. 9, are wracked with downright a very male, aggressive, working-class Baby-collecting blind millionaire Oscar BEDTIME STORIES demonic thoughts. Yet the two men sitting movement. We never did feel like we Lomax, and a disturbed midwife (played The pair, who met at Bretton Hall College around the table in a boxy, bare-walled belonged in any particular group.” Dark, by ) who treats a doll as if drama school in Yorkshire, both displayed room adjacent to the FHM office on horror film-inspired stories and creepy it were her own, real-life baby. Naturally, some of the traits that would eventually this chilly spring morning are charming characters aren’t exactly the kind of thing these are not your average, humdrum lead them to Royston Vasey, and beyond, (especially Pemberton), serious (especially you just slot into a stand-up night at a comedy characters. Most recently, in the from an early age. ReeCe shearsmith and Steve pemberton, Shearsmith), unfalteringly polite and comedy club. “We tried,” says Shearsmith. superb series of short stories Inside No 9, “I think I was a ghoulish little boy, into shot for FHM almost disappointingly normal. “It was dreadful. Worst thing on .” they further flirted with the boundaries of horror books and films,” says Shearsmith.

044 June 2014 045 Clockwise from left: Pemberton and Sheersmith AS David Sowerbutts and his mum maureen in Psychoville (2009); hapless burglars Eddie and Ray in Inside n0 9 macabre (2014); and Local shop owners Tubbs and Edward in The League magic Of Gentleman (1999) The telly, films and people who inspired the Inside No 9 creators

Reeves & Mortimer Shearsmith: “I still find the funniest people on television. They’re so inventive and dynamic; they never fail to floor me with their peculiar brand of comedy.” Audition Pemberton: “We don’t tend to look at other comedies for our inspiration. We’ll look to some Japanese horror film and apply it to a comedy. Then we’ve got something special.” The Haunting Shearsmith: “This is meet as young actors and living on the dole, wanted to create a piece of television that that the process of writing comedy – which a film that still frightens me. The director, that they worked together for the first time. people would just watch, be completely they do in their shared workspace, walking Robert Wise, creates “The best stuff we do is what we do together. engaged by and talk about afterwards. distance from their North homes the grandaddy of That’s what we want to achieve.” And – isn’t all fun and games. “We kill ourselves haunted houses with DEAD FUNNY they’ve succeeded: people don’t just talk laughing, but the craft of the writing is Hill House. And you We love it, and long may it continue” Steve Pemberton Now, with more than two decades of about the shows afterwards, but faithfully to shape it,” say Shearsmith. “People say, never see anything!” writing and performing alongside each parrot the catchphrases at every available ‘Oh, me and my mates laugh down the pub Mid Morning Matters Pemberton agrees. “We had the same artefacts, and the mementos have become other, they’ve joined the ranks of the great opportunity. “You’re my wife now, Dave”, all the time. I could do what you do. Don’t Pemberton: “The Alan book, didn’t we, the Alan Frank book of all the more macabre as their careers comedy partnerships (though the last “This is a local shop, for local people”, “Not you just get pissed and write it all down?’ Partridge series is set horrors,” he recalls. have progressed. Pemberton’s study is thing they’d do is describe themselves now, Silent Singer”, “I did a bad murder”, Of course not – can you imagine? It’s like in a radio booth, and “Yeah, and Mark [Gatiss] did as well.” decorated with three severed heads as ). Shearsmith – wearing a and many, many more besides are still pulling teeth. It’s proper work. The deftness I found that absolutely “And the Dick Smith horror make-up kit, – souvenirs from Psychoville – including Victorian-style wool jacket – is the quieter heard, or seen on T-shirts, across the nation. is hopefully that it looks spontaneous – gripping. If you set your own tone and where you could make your own horrific his own face carved into a pumpkin. of the two, rarely makes eye contact and that’s the real magic trick.” your own pace, you make-up and put it on your face.” Shearsmith takes it to the next level: his comes across as a tad, well… odd, albeit in Picking up where the other leaves off, draw people in.” “Flex flesh…” says Shearsmith, clearly specially commissioned heads, skulls and an endearing way. Pemberton, on the other Through thick and thin laughing at each other’s quips, gags and enjoying the nostalgic turn of conversation. even the foetus of a werewolf, pickled in hand, is smiley, warm and engaging. What Their fans know and love them as a in-jokes – Pemberton and Shearsmith’s The King Of Comedy “They were always rock-hard and would a jar, are kept in a secret attic room, they (and their creations) share is a peculiar pair, a gruesome twosome, a mutual admiration and long-time bromance Shearsmith: This is never glue on and looked shit. We were concealed behind a bookcase opened by uniquely British, gothic air, following in the dastardly double act – OK, you get the is quite touching. “We wouldn’t do it if a favourite of mine. doing stuff that we now as parents would pulling a lever disguised as a bust on a frightful footsteps of everyone from Mary picture – and so to the question every we were falling out all the time,” says The study of fandom try to stop our children doing. I’ve liked shelf. “It’s amazing,” marvels Pemberton of Shelley to Hammer horror; and an equally partnership traditionally must answer: do Pemberton. “As actors and writers in our tipping into obsession is sublime. And even more magic since I was little as well, so I always his friend’s almost parody, supervillain-style British deftness in treading the finest of they actually get on outside of work? “No, own right, we’ve got enough behind us to potent and relevant used to do magic tricks. I don’t think my lair. “Like something out of Scooby-Doo.” lines that exists between funny and scary. not really,” they say together, exchanging have careers, but the best stuff we both today than in the ’80s.” mum was ever like, ‘I’m a bit worried about With their shared love of Hammer horror By toying with our expectations and our a quick look as if to say, “Oi, that was my do is what we do together. We don’t have Reece’ – I was quite quiet and I think films and Tales Of The Unexpected (which emotions in that way, what exactly are line,” before chuckling. “Yeah, we’re good to be doing this, but we love it, and we she was pleased I wasn’t hanging around would later inspire the format of Inside they trying to achieve? “I was watching friends,” says Shearsmith. “No one makes choose to, and long may it continue.” Shearsmith: “John Threshers with a load of other lads No 9), it’s hardly surprising that, along with Gogglebox the other night – which I think is me laugh as easily and as deeply as Steve. Funnily enough, our thoughts exactly. is such good company drinking cider… I was sat in reading Gatiss and Dyson, they formed such a a brilliant programme – but the idea that That becomes the yardstick of what goes and has endless The Pan Book Of Horror Stories.” close friendship at drama school. Though people will watch one of our shows like into the show: if I’ve made him laugh, or Inside No 9 is out now on DVD. Happy jaw-dropping stories. His love of film Ever since they were kids, the pair have remarkably, it wasn’t until several years that, just talking all the way through it…” we make each other laugh, then it’s good.” Valley starring Steve Pemberton is currently is so infectious too. surrounded themselves with unusual after graduating, struggling to make ends says Pemberton, shaking his head. “We Though they’re both keen to make clear airing on BBC One He’s wonderful.”

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