Reece Shearsmith's live show for his memoir 'Things I Took From the Dark: The Museum of Me' has been described as the best show seen since Titanique, with the reviewer stating it changed everything they know about book tours.
The League of Gentlemen star toured the memoir this month, leading audiences through his collection of dark trinkets, each interwoven with tales from his life. The live show follows the same formula but adds showmanship and magic.
Atmosphere and Objects
From the moment the audience enters the auditorium, an ominous atmosphere is created by eerie music and foreboding objects on stage, each shrouded under white sheets. This ambience is immediately contrasted with a comedic opening, with the flip-flop of tone continuing throughout the first act.
The slow revealing of what lay on each plinth imbued a sense of intrigue, with objects ranging from cursed antiques to props from his TV career, including a cast model of his head.
Performance and Audience Interaction
Segments of the show were shocking, theatrical and hilarious, covering topics such as old 70's safety adverts and the 2016 clown epidemic, the latter accompanied by a performance as one of his famous characters. Audience interaction was prominent, with people brought on stage to interact with cursed objects, leading to unpredictable outcomes.
After an interval, Shearsmith invited fellow League of Gentlemen member Jeremy Dyson to host a Q&A segment. Audience questions were submitted during the break, allowing him to share stories from his life and childhood. Growing up in Hull, northern culture was a common theme, resonating with everyone in the room.
Recent Appearances and Verdict
Alongside the tour and book, Shearsmith has appeared on LOL: Last One Laughing Halloween and as a guest on Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing, joining Bob Mortimer for a fishing trip on Tees waters.
The reviewer concluded that the live show blew their expectations out of the water, bringing genuine gasps and guffaws, and that its only flaw was that it was too short.
