Things I Took from the Dark as told by Reece Shearsmith
- Date
- 31 October, 2026
- Start time:
- 19:30
- Venue Name
- Cambridge Corn Exchange
Description
Behind a normal door, in an ordinary house, lies a museum that is anything but.
For decades, Reece Shearsmith has been collecting terrible things. The screaming skull of Glamis Castle, the Highgate vampire, sea devils, witch hunters and a talking mongoose called Gef. Some of them he found. Some of them found him. Now, for the first time, he opens the door.
Co-creator of The League of Gentlemen, Psychoville and Inside No. 9, Reece is no stranger to the morbid and macabre. In this live show, he will guide audiences through the bizarre artefacts and obsessions that have quietly shaped everything he has made.
Each object in Reece’s collection has a story, and each story reaches further back than the last: from a terrifying childhood encounter on a Hull council estate to haunted dressing rooms, uncanny creatures at the edges of long film shoots, and stranger things still…
Working from his illustrated memoir Things I Took from the Dark: The Museum of Me, Reece will move between storytelling and performance, before engaging in conversation with a special guest host. Audiences will also have the chance to put questions directly to the curator himself…if they dare.
Market House
Mix and match between vibrant British and Asian menus at Market House — one of Cambridge’s favourite independent eateries, just minutes from the Corn Exchange.
Book your table for a pre-show meal!Accessibility Information
If you would like to book accessible seating, your account with the Cambridge Corn Exchange must have a tag applied to it. Please email tickets@cambridge.gov.uk or call 01223 357851 (Mon-Fri 10am-5pm)* to request we add this tag to your account. Please read our access document in advance of booking to ensure the tickets you book are the most suitable.
Access to the box office
The Box Office for the Corn Exchange is called Cambridge Live Tickets and is located left of the venue, two doors down (next to the restaurant Steak & Honour.)
The Cambridge Live Tickets Box Office is currently closed, however, when there is a performance taking place the Box Office opens at 6pm (or an hour before a matinee starts) and closes half an hour after the start time (or until 9pm for standing performance.)
Here is a summary of Box Office features:
- Lowered kerb providing level access
- Automatic sliding doors to Box Office
- Large print seating plans
- A lowered counter
- An induction loop
- Wi-Fi
Audio Loop
There is an infra-red hearing enhancement system which can be used either with, or without a hearing aid. The system only works in the auditorium and balcony. The headphones and receiver can be obtained from the steward at the Customer Services Desk. No deposit is required but the stewards will ask for your name and seat number” There are 6 sets available which consist of, a headset, receiver and neck loop. There are certain areas within the auditorium where the system doesn’t work:- Rows S to Z, seats 1 to 8 (House Right), at the rear of the auditorium. Rows XF to XK Rows O to R, seats 1 to 4 Using the system with a hearing aid Headphones are attached to the receiver and then worn in a similar fashion to a personal stereo. For those customers with hearing aids without a T setting, we suggest using this system with headphones but removing your hearing aid whilst inside the auditorium. The loop should be placed around the customer’s neck and attached to the receiver. The receiver should remain uncovered at all times, in order to pick up the signal. They can use channels 0 - 4 to receive the sound. The volume can be controlled on the receiver. Using the system without a hearing aid The headphones should be attached to the receiver and worn in similar fashion to a personal stereo. The receiver should remain uncovered at all times, in order to pick up the signal. They can use channels 0 - 4 to receive the sound. The volume can be controlled on the receiver.
Wheelchair Access
Level Access and Automatic Doors (or No Doors)
Assistance Dogs
Assistance dogs are welcome at our venue.