EDGAR IN THE RED ROOM By Matt Chiorini and Greg Giovanin at The Hope Theatre 3 – 14 February 2026
‘The show leans into the more grotesque elements of Poe’s stories and darkest elements of Poe’s own life.’ ★★★ ½
London contains many horror stories, from the Tower, to Sweenie Todd to Jack the Ripper. Perhaps these are the very things that have initiated a real fascination with the horror genre. There are even festivals dedicated to the macabre which are particularly popular in North London. The Hope Theatre in Islington, delves into the dark and mysterious from time to time, and here we are again, with this company from North America, bringing an original show on the life and works of Edgar Allan Poe.
The show is narrated by ‘Poe’ (Morgan Smith) and stars ‘Poe’ (Sammy Overton) in an amalgamation of some of his best loved gothic stories. The show is billed as a musical, so we cannot really expect to receive Poe as Poe intended. Instead, the show concentrates on Poe’s death and the death of his wife, along with a retelling of one of his most loved stories, The House of Usher with added material from other stories.
It is high on gothic imagery with some of the most popular themes and motifs featured using a mixture of music, movement, projections, and shadow play. The show leans into the more grotesque elements of Poe’s stories and darkest elements of Poe’s own life. The various theatrical devices used were by turns visually attractive, or grotesque or childlike. At times it was rather frenetic, with an overuse of a mobile door frame and the characters rushing from one place to another. That said, the music is the show’s greatest achievement with excellent singers, memorable tunes and melodies. I particularly admired Sammy Overton’s renditions, full and rich in tone. Praise too for the costume designs (Kylee Galarneau), the Raven is particularly well-constructed.
Ultimately, there is a strong feminist ‘message’ in the show which turns the tables on Poe. The writers seem to be pointing the finger and calling him out for being a bad husband. However, audiences might decide that it is unfair to judge him by the standards of today as he lived in abject poverty, in different times with different mores.
The show doesn’t aim to do Poe’s works real justice, which, for me is a little disappointing. Instead, it has an agenda of its own which is certainly refreshing, if not entirely to my taste.
CAST
Kilian Crowley
Maya June Dwyer
Moxie Dwyer
Sammy Overton
Morgan Smith
CREATIVE TEAM
Matt Chiorini and Greg Giovanini (writers, directors, music)
Maya June Dwyer (choreography)
Lindsey Voorhees and John Czajkowski (production design)
Kylee Galarneau (costume design)
