Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 8.5/10

Cast: Reece Shearsmith, Steve Pemberton, Danny Mays, Daisy Haggard, Jason Isaacs.

A resounding fear that we push away is that somewhere, somehow, someone values us in a way that is not safe, that is harmful, a momentary possession that is against our will, and which goes further than most crimes, because of the perceived monetary worth and lack of respect that comes with the sovereignty of the body, and one that could in all concerns descend rapidly into torture, rape, and even death.

To profit from fear, to be rewarded for threatening to kill a person who may be related to someone with money and terrify them to the point of exhaustion, to the near state of collapse is both abhorrent and lacking in subtly, it is the action of the desperate, in the same vein as the blackmailer and the extortioner, but someone who has reached a part in life where the extremes of violence are now possible.

And yet the number of crimes that are connected with such an act of desperation can be seen to come from the one pulling the strings of the kidnapper, the idea of being taken prisoner comes from the kidnappee themselves; it is a staple of Hollywood and mystery novels, the question and the reveal of who is controlling who.

One of the many beauties of Inside No. 9 is that its creators, Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton, know when to step back from the fore of the action, giving way to other actors who shine in circumstances that the pair would wish upon any of their guests, and in Kid/Nap, the presence of Daniel Mays and Daisy Haggard in their respective roles as kidnapper Shane and the object of his dastardly deed, Lara, is to be admired, and congratulated upon.

Whilst the reveal may have been expected, it is to the delight of the viewer that the strength of the performances, including a wonderful short-lived appearance by Jason Isaacs as Clifford, is what makes the story memorable, and in a move normally not touched upon by the writers, one where the protagonist comes up trumps.

To profit from fear is the action of the criminal and perhaps ministers and governments, but occasionally the artist may do so as well, and to them, we must salute wholeheartedly, for they push our boundaries to the limit, but do so with care.

Ian D. Hall