Why did the audience scream? Tickets for the "Secret of No. 9" creators' meeting sold out in one minute
The last interactive question for the "Secret of No. 9" screening and creators' meeting was given to the audience on the second floor of the Shanghai Grand Theater's Middle Theater. "I came to Shanghai from Hangzhou. I want to ask if the creators have plans to perform in China in the future? Did you get any inspiration from Chinese culture during your visit to China this time?" On June 24, the "Magnolia Fragrance" benefit screening, "Secret of No. 9" screening and creators' meeting were held at the Shanghai Grand Theater's Middle Theater. The audience held posters, homemade banners, mobile phones, and cameras, applauding and recording. As one of the top three most popular films in this benefit screening, "Secret of No. 9" sold out in just one minute. There were still many audiences waiting outside the theater without tickets.
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith, the creators of "Secret No. 9", watched the first episode of the first season of "Secret No. 9" and the sixth episode of the ninth season with Chinese audiences, and relived the wonderful memories of the 10 years, 9 seasons and 55 episodes of "Secret No. 9" in the form of echoing the beginning and the end of the series. The two creators also shared the wonderful stories on and off the stage with the audience, and signed posters handed by the audience on the spot. "The audience has a lot of expectations about how the last season of "Secret No. 9" will end. We just want to relax and think about 6 interesting stories. I think we succeeded." Reece Shearsmith said that each episode was shot for 5 days, and there are many unforgettable stories in the 10 years of "Secret No. 9". "In the third episode of the ninth season, "The Mulberry Lane Murders", there was only one fox on the scene. It was too full and had no motivation to look through the trash can. We needed to pull the fox with a rope to perform a performance that met the needs."
When asked about his favorite episode, Steve Pemberton said it was difficult to answer, but the Halloween live broadcast of "Secrets of Number 9" at the end of October 2018 was unforgettable for him. "The audience in front of the TV really thought that an accident had occurred during the live broadcast of the TV station, so a quarter of the audience did not continue to watch it, but in fact everything was designed in advance, which was very exciting."
Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith share their creation stories
How was the suspenseful and reversal-filled "Secret of No. 9" created? Steve Pemberton concluded, "We keep changing our style. Sometimes we decide on the ending first and then work backwards. Sometimes we get the ending while writing." He also announced that the new work created by the two will be staged in London's West End from January to April next year. "This is a traditional proscenium stage performance, not an immersive play. The story of "Secret of No. 9" familiar to the audience will be presented in the theater." Regarding the last question from the Hangzhou audience who cordially invited "Secret of No. 9" to come to China more often, Steve Pemberton said, "We feel the enthusiasm of the Chinese audience and will work hard to bring the series and performances to everyone. Given that "Secret of No. 9" focuses on suspense and thriller stories, we also want to learn more about traditional Chinese culture. After coming to China, we are more interested in this."
Talking about his impressions of his first visit to China, Steve Pemberton said, "In China, we ate non-stop, and the dishes on the revolving table were served one after another. I was deeply impressed by the hospitality of the Chinese people." Reece Shearsmith showed the unique humor of the British, "I like rain. It has been raining since I came to China."
After the meeting, Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith watched the immersive suspense theater "Secret No. 9" currently being performed at the Shanghai Grand Theater. They had known about this performance a year ago. Reece Shearsmith said with a smile, "We visited the backstage, and many of the stage design elements looked very much like the Disneyland of "Secret No. 9."
Audience members held up their phones and cameras to record the unforgettable moment. Photo by Zhuge Yi
Visitors came to the event dragging their suitcases. Photo by Zhuge Yi
Audiences gathered in front of the poster of "Secret No. 9" to watch the event. Photo by Zhuge Yi
It is reported that the return of "Secret No. 9" also marks the finale of the series. The ninth season still carries the series' unique black humor and compact plot reversals.
Since its premiere in 2014, "Secret of No. 9" has attracted countless fans around the world and won the British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards for Best Comedy Screenplay and Best Comedy Actor in 2021. The TV series version has ended, but Damai "Of course there is a play" has been jointly created by Shanghai Grand Theater Creation Center and Zhejiang Dafeng Culture. "Santuoqi Theater" is responsible for creativity and creation. The immersive suspense theater "Secret of No. 9" which is popular in the No. 9 space of Shanghai Grand Theater will continue to accompany the audience.
The immersive suspense theater "Secret No. 9" is the world's first offline performance version of the British drama of the same name authorized by the BBC. On December 27, 2023, the resident performance started in Space No. 9 on the 5th floor of the Shanghai Grand Theater. So far, nearly 160 performances have been performed, and the attendance rate has always been high. It has become a new landmark for Shanghai performances. In the future, this immersive performance will continue to upgrade and present more new story units.
The event was jointly organized by BBC Studios, "Of course there is a play", the immersive drama producer of "Secret of No. 9", the immersive drama co-producer of "Secret of No. 9" Shanghai Grand Theater, and the exclusive video broadcasting platform Bilibili.
