Inside No 9 – ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’

This third series of Inside No 9 is shaping up to be the most varied yet. After an intricately-crafted revenge tale and a quasi-musical, this week’s instalment is a deeply-nuanced character study that hits a lot of emotional beats. ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’ sees Reece Shearsmith give his best performance to date in a tale of madness tinged with sadness.

House husband David (Shearsmith) is out jogging one morning when he makes an unusual discovery – a single discarded black shoe, seemingly abandoned in the middle of the road. David takes it home and shows it to his wife Louise (Keeley Hawes), who watches in quiet horror as David’s quest to find the other shoe transforms from a healthy intrigue into a worrying obsession. As the shoe starts to take over his life, will David ever find out what happened? And, more importantly, what will become of his life if he does?

Unusually for an instalment of Inside No 9, ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’ is fairly simple, narrative-wise. But, in a sense, it’s not really about what happens so much as it is a character study of the man at its heart. Shearsmith offers some of his best acting to date, playing David as a man losing his sanity without ever making it gratuitous – just look at the final scene for an example of what I mean. This is a slow burn episode that winds up far more emotionally than you’d expect.

This is an exceptionally good episode, which takes a simple premise and uses it to tell a deep and powerful story

‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’ is mostly a two-hander, and Keeley Hawes shines (as always – the woman is brilliant in everything). The exasperated wife role seems initially as if it should be a foil to David’s increasing insanity, but there’s a lot more going on – Hawes’ performance aches with pain and poignancy. This is an episode that really requires two sensitive performances, and our two leads deliver. Otherwise, we see Steve Pemberton as a work colleague and family friend in a particularly uncomfortable scene, and Mathew Boynton as a man who may have a few answers.

I’m writing this review to avoid giving away much detail, but I want to praise another layered script, which shows Shearsmith and Pemberton are masters of the short form. They pack a lot in here, things that are said and unsaid, and the dramatic beats it hits throughout the runtime. ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’ is packed with atmosphere, and an ending that is full of the good kind of ambiguity.

I should also take the time to praise the direction and cinematography of this episode, because it does a lot. As I mentioned, very little actually happens in ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’, so it’s a testament to director Guillem Morales that it feels so eventful. This episode feels particularly artistic to watch, so kudos should be paid to director of photography John Sorapure too – on rewatch, it’s impressive to pick up on the level of symbolism conveyed through the script and the setting.

This is an exceptionally good episode, which takes a simple premise and uses it to tell a deep and powerful story. Our two leads work together beautifully, and this is one to revisit for all the details and little moments you may have missed the first few times. Inside No 9 is one of the best things on TV, and episodes like ‘Diddle Diddle Dumpling’ are proof of that.