Reece Shearsmith (left) and Steve Pemberton share their experience creating Inside No.9 at Shanghai Grand Theatre on June 24. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Creators of BBC's dark comedy series Inside No. 9, British writer-actor duo Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith are on their first visit to China, participating in the 29th Shanghai TV Festival.

They watched the first episode of the first season of Inside No.9, and the final episode of the ninth season, which is also conclusion of the whole series, alongside Chinese fans at the Shanghai Grand Theatre on June 24.

They also saw the Chinese immersive theater production adapted from the TV series, and revealed that a new theater production of Inside No. 9, created by and starring the two of them, will kick off next year on West End in London.

Since the launch of the first season of Inside No. 9 in 2014, the dark comedy anthology series has garnered a global following for the great storytelling with clever plot twists. In 2021 the series won two BAFT awards for Best Comedy Screenplay and Best Actor in Comedy.

The series is accessible on bilibili.com, a leading streaming platform in China, and last year Shanghai Grand Theatre joined hands with Mailive and San Tuo Qi Theater Company to introduce the first theater adaptation for the TV series. The immersive theater production has had more than 160 shows since its premiere on Dec 27.