Inside No 9: Simon Says
10:00 pm - 10:30 pm, Friday, June 19 on BBC Two England (2)
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About this Broadcast
Simon Says
Season 6, Episode 2
Everyone says the season seven finale of fantasy epic The Ninth Circle was pretty disappointing - even show-runner Spencer Maguire is keen to move on to new projects. But not everyone thinks that it has to be the end of the matter, and obsessive fan Simon Smethurst decides to visit his hero to help put things right. Written by and starring Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, with Nick Mohammed and Lindsay Duncan
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Cast & Crew
Steve Pemberton
(Actor)
.. Spencer Maguire
Reece Shearsmith
(Actor)
.. Simon Smethurst
Nick Mohammed
(Actor)
.. Gavin
Lindsay Duncan
(Actor)
.. Loretta Lamb
Guillem Morales
(Director)
Adam Tandy
(Producer)
More Information
Did You Know..
Steve Pemberton
(Actor)
.. Spencer Maguire
Born:
September 01, 1967
in
Blackburn
Best Known For:
The League of Gentlemen and Benidorm.
Early-life:
Steve James Pemberton was born on September 1, 1967, in Blackburn, Lancashire. He first realised he wanted to be an actor while still at school, and his first role was playing Peter in The Diary of Anne Frank at the Chorley Little Theatre - although he admits he was the only boy who auditioned. Following his A levels, he gained a Theatre Arts degree from Bretton Hall College in Yorkshire, where he met Reece Shearsmith and Mark Gatiss who, along with Jeremy Dyson, became The League of Gentlemen.
Career:
Pemberton began his professional career on stage, but suffered a setback when he had a heart attack at the age of 25 while working in Germany. He went on to feature in Ken Russell's Alice in RussiaLand in 1995, but it was The League of Gentleman that was his first major success, first on radio, then on TV and film. He also appeared in the remake of Randall & Hopkirk (Deceased), Gormenghast, Shameless, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers and Blackpool. The latter co-starred David Tennant, and the duo were reunited in 2008 for a two-part Doctor Who adventure. Other projects include the Woody Allen film Match Point, Lassie, Psychoville, and Benidorm.
Quote:
On his favourite League of Gentlemen character: 'I miss Pauline from the job centre the most. It was scary when I put on the costume and the wig and the lips. It was like being possessed.'
Reece Shearsmith
(Actor)
.. Simon Smethurst
Born:
August 27, 1969
in
Hull
Best Known For:
The League of Gentlemen.
Early-life:
Born Reeson William Shearsmith on August 27, 1969, in Hull. He met the men who would join him in The League of Gentlemen - Mark Gatiss, Steve Pemberton and Jeremy Dyson - while studying drama at Bretton Hall. In 1995, they began performing a sketch show at London's Cockpit Theatre, soon afterwards landing a residency at the Canal Café pub theatre, which compelled them to create new material at a fast pace.
Career:
In 1997 the quartet won the Perrier Award, and their subsequent radio series, On the Town with The League of Gentlemen, set in the fictional town of Spent, won a Sony Award. In 1999 the League moved to TV - and Royston Vasey - with subsequent series in 2000 (including a typically sinister Christmas special) and 2002; plus a film, The League of Gentlemen's Apocalypse, in 2005. Outside of the League, Shearsmith has appeared alongside Vic Reeves and Bob Mortimer in the comedies Catterick and House of Fools. He also popped up in Spaced and TLC. His other work includes Eric and Ernie, The Widower and Chasing Shadows on the small screen, and Burke and Hare, The World's End and A Field in England on the big screen. He has also appeared on the stage in Art, The Producers and Betty Blue Eyes. He re-teamed with fellow League star Steve Pemberton for Psychoville and Inside No 9.
Quote:
'I think League of Gentlemen drew on our experiences growing up in northern towns, not that they were as weird and remote as Royston Vasey was. But it pervaded our material.'
Trivia:
In 2006, he appeared in the West End as Leo Bloom in The Producers.
Nick Mohammed
(Actor)
.. Gavin
Lindsay Duncan
(Actor)
.. Loretta Lamb
Born:
November 07, 1950
in
Edinburgh
Best Known For:
Her many acclaimed stage roles.
Early-life:
Born November 7, 1950, in Edinburgh, but spent part of her childhood in Leeds and Birmingham. Neither of her parents had a showbusiness background, and her mother originally wanted her to become a doctor. However, they supported her decision to tread the boards after the acting bug bit while appearing in school productions. She regrets the fact her father - who died in a car accident when she was a teenager - didn't live to see her success.
Career:
After spells at Bristol University and the Central School of Speech and Drama, she landed professional roles in a variety of theatrical productions. Her first TV appearance came in 1975's Further Up Pompeii! Parts at the Royal Exchange in the likes of The Rivals and What the Butler Saw gained her huge acclaim. Arguably her biggest stage successes have both come opposite Alan Rickman, in productions of Les Liaisons Dangereuses and Private Lives. Duncan has popped up in TV and film projects such as Reilly: The Ace of Spies, Kit Curran, Prick Up Your Ears, Traffik, GBH, Jake's Progress, Oliver Twist, An Ideal Husband, Doctor Who, Poirot, Alice in Wonderland and Rome.
Quote:
'All good rehearsals involve quite a lot of laughing, that's the way to get through it.'
Trivia:
She took a role in Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace to please their son, Cal, who is a huge fan of the franchise.
Guillem Morales
(Director)
Adam Tandy
(Producer)
