Maxine Peake and Jenna Coleman have joined the star cast for a new series of Inside No 9.

The series is returning with six standalone episodes from the experimental writers behind The League Of Gentlemen.

Reece Shearsmith and Steve Pemberton are welcoming a new cast to tell their subversive tales on the BBC Two series.

Three Girls star Peake and Doctor Who actress Coleman join a host of talents including Dipo Ola, Phil Davis, Ralf Little, Jill Halfpenny, Steve Speirs and Tom Goodman-Hill.

Shearsmith and Pemberton said: “We’re delighted to announce a guest cast brimming with both emerging and established talent, all judiciously chosen to make us look a bit classier by association.”

UK Theatre Awards
Maxine Peake has signed on for the series (Ian West/PA)

The series combines horror and comedy, and introduces new twists and characters with each of the standalone episodes, which are linked by the number nine. The show has won numerous awards since its inception.

Shane Allen, of BBC comedy commissioning, said: “Reece and Steve consistently dazzle and delight with what is undoubtedly the most inventively prolific storytelling series on television.

“Their ability to subvert and surprise makes each show a unique experience for the viewers. It’s the antidote to a world of familiar cosy TV formats.”

Fionn Whitehead, Kadiff Kirwan, Debbie Rush, and Ioanna Kimbook will also be starring in the new series.

Filming for the fifth series of Inside No 9 is under way.