One Man Poe at Jack Studio Theatre Review
Written by Penny for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review
One Man Poe enjoyed a sell-out run at last year’s Edinburgh Fringe and now, with perfect timing for Halloween, Threedumb Theatre brings it to the Jack Studio – with three terrifying stories from the “godfather of gothic horror”, Edgar Allen Poe, performed and directed by the company’s Artistic Director Stephen Smith. He gives us his take on The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum and The Raven – tales that are nearly 200 years old, but still providing inspiration to today’s horror writers.
Entering the theatre, a man (Smith) is crouched facing up-stage, seemingly in some sort of turmoil. It’s not clear as the lighting is low, setting a suitably sinister scene. The stage is bare except for some furniture to the side in the shadows – it’s all very gothic. This mood continues with excellent use of lighting throughout the performance, along with music and sound design from Joseph Furey and Django Holder that very effectively adds to the atmosphere and helps builds tension.
The three stories each offer a different element of “horror” - in The Tell-Tale Heart this comes from Smith’s frenzied portrayal of a man on the edge unable to differentiate between what is real and what is in his imagination, whilst The Pit and the Pendulum brings the threat of an external horror in the form of a rapidly encroaching horrible death - the sound design is particularly effective in the latter. Most chilling of all is The Raven, the poetry of the language taking on a sinister feel with its repetition, “Nevermore”.
As the creative force behind the production, it is clear that Stephen Smith has a great love and respect for his source material. A self-confessed lifelong fan of the horror genre, his adaptation (developed with credited dramaturgical support from Amber Buttery, Amy Roberts and Rebecca Phythian) honours the original text and does not attempt to give it a modern twist or add jump scares and special effects. Poe’s words are enough and he delivers them magnificently.
Smith is a gifted storyteller. With simple costume changes and a swift application of make up he transforms from a frantic madman (The Tell-Tale Heart) to a desperate prisoner condemned by the Inquisition (The Pit and the Pendulum) and then takes us full circle, embodying a character described in the first story, an old man complete with pale blue rheumy eye, to recite The Raven as the show’s conclusion. As well as delivering the poetic but rather arcane language in each piece in a way that makes the story and characters accessible and very real, he has excellent physicality – his movement around the stage elevates the performance from a simple retelling of an story. He staggers and slides, contorts his body, adapts his posture and conveys the growing panic in all of the characters with mesmerising detail.
One Man Poe usually includes four stories – for this performance The Black Cat has been omitted – which removes an interval with its shorter running time. But, running at around 80 minutes, it is an intense experience without any light relief to balance the shade. That said, One Man Poe is a treat for Poe afficianados, and a masterful staging and performance. It may not have the instant gratification of modern horror with its gory effects and jump scares, but these chilling tales certainly stand the test of time and offer an atmospheric and chilling experience for anybody who has an love of Halloween and good theatre.
One Man Poe runs at the Jack Studio Theatre until Saturday 1st November 2025. Find out more and book here.
★★★★