Review: One Man Poe (Touring)

Sunday, 1st June 2025 at Theatre 41, York

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

The works of Edgar Allan Poe are works of dark and twisted genius. They generally don’t get enough attention these days for my liking, so I was chuffed to be able to see a selection of his tales performed by the very talented Stephen Smith (who also directs). 

There’s always something incredibly impressive about seeing an actor transform into different characters with subtle shifts in voice and physicality, and Smith is no exception: whether channeling madman, victim, alcoholic monster or lonely lover, Smith is entirely credible and totally engaging. Accompanied only by a few barely touched props and make-up, atmospheric music from Joseph Furey and eerie, aptly placed sound design from Furey and Django Holder, he carries the stories with confident power.

While of course there’s a physical performance in play, much of the experience of this show is auditory; the stories are narrated as opposed to acted out, making it pretty key that Smith’s voice work is impeccable, convincing us of age, vice, madness and woe as he moves between characters. Smith knows his craft and the importance of taking us on a journey we can’t see, bringing layers of emotion and meaning to the fore with musicality, intonation and accents all playing their part in conjuring distinct characters.

That said, in truth, covering The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat and The Raven all in one evening  – while an impressive feat of performance and recitation for Smith – proves quite challenging.

It’s not just that the works require a fair bit of focus given the language and complexity, but the stories themselves are incredibly bleak and macabre, making the combination feel like a bit of a trying onslaught at times – not helped much by the sheer length of The Pit and the Pendulum in particular! It’s possible that perhaps the core strength of impressively carrying four tales on just two shoulders also highlights limitations in terms of sustaining engagement with such minimalism.

And yet, while challenging in nature for both actor and audience, this is absolutely a worthwhile few hours, highlighting the brutal brilliance of Poe and ultimately offering his famous existential ruminations on a grisly plate for us to eye up with morbid fascination.

One Man Poe continues its tour until August – more information and tickets can be found here.