'Phantoms of the Popera' starring G4
Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone
8 March 2027 to 29 March 2027 (selected dates)
Reece Shearsmith brings his illustrated memoir to Theatre Royal Brighton: dark storytelling, performance and Q&A. Age 14+. Check booking details.
Reece Shearsmith, co-creator of The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville and Inside No. 9, brings his illustrated memoir Things I Took from the Dark: The Museum of Me to the stage in a live show at Theatre Royal Brighton. Drawing on a lifetime of morbid collecting, he guides audiences through the objects, obsessions and unsettling encounters that have quietly fed his work.
This is a live talk and performance event, not a play or stand-up comedy set. Shearsmith moves between storytelling and performance as he leads audiences through his personal collection, which includes folkloric curiosities such as Glamis Castle's screaming skull, the Highgate vampire, sea devils, witch hunters and a talking mongoose named Gef. The evening draws directly from his illustrated memoir, using each object as a doorway into a deeper story.
The format then shifts into conversation: a special guest host joins Shearsmith on stage, and the audience is invited to put their own questions to him directly.
The show carries a guidance figure of 14 and over, at the discretion of a parent or guardian. This is not a legal restriction, but the subject matter sits firmly in the dark and strange. The running time is 1 hour 50 minutes.
These are the dates listed by ATG as checked on 21 September 2026. A date range may contain selected performances, rather than a show every day. Open your chosen venue link for exact times, seats and current prices.
| Venue | Town or city | Dates | Booking status | Tickets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Theatre Royal Brighton | Brighton | Mon 5 Oct 2026 | Ended | No longer available |
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ATG lists a running time of 1 hour 50 minutes. Confirm the performance time and any interval information when booking.
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It is categorised as a talk. Shearsmith blends storytelling and performance with material from his illustrated memoir, then takes part in a conversation with a guest host and answers audience questions.
The running time is 1 hour 50 minutes.
The guidance is 14 and over, at the discretion of a parent or guardian. The content covers macabre folklore, haunted locations and unsettling personal encounters, so parents should judge accordingly.
Choose a venue from the dates table and follow its ATG Tickets link. You can then check performance times, available seats and the total price before paying.
Theatre Royal Brighton: Mon 5 Oct 2026.
ATG Tickets sells the tickets and handles checkout, ticket delivery and booking support. British Theatre may earn a commission from these links.
New Road, Brighton BN1 1SD
Brighton (BTN) railway station is about a 10 minute walk from the theatre, or roughly 4 minutes by taxi, with the walking route running along Queen's Road and through North Laine. The station has frequent services to London and across the South East.
Numerous Brighton & Hove Buses services stop along North Street, around 2 minutes' walk away. The closest stops are B, C, X and Y, served by routes 1, 1A, 2, 5, 5A, 5B, N5, 7, 12, 12A, 12X, 18, 21, 22, 25, 46, 55 and 60.
The nearest car park is the NCP Theatre Car Park on Church Street, BN1 1US. The theatre has no parking of its own, but there are three disabled bays on New Road just outside the theatre for Blue Badge holders, and four Access parking spaces on New Road about 25 metres from the venue, outside the accountancy firm Lucraft, Hodgson & Dawes and the restaurant Tonkotsu. Taxis can drop off and pick up directly outside.
Leas Cliff Hall, Folkestone
8 March 2027 to 29 March 2027 (selected dates)
Norman Bragg Studio, Aylesbury Waterside
15 November 2026 to 15 November 2026 (selected dates)
Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent
18 January 2027 to 30 January 2027 (selected dates)
Show ended
Things I Took from the Dark as told by Reece Shearsmith