REVIEW: ONE MAN POE at King’s Head Theatre 27 December – 7 January 2023

Sanity Can Drive You Mad ★★★
 
 

‘I became insane, with long intervals of horrible sanity’

‘Never to suffer would never to have been blessed’

‘All that we see or seem is but a dream within a dream’

Edgar Allan Poe’s own life is regarded as macabre and gothic as his work, and these three quotes of his are compelling enough to appreciate what makes him one of the most seminal and enduring of gothic horror writer (and what makes for enticing material for a performer).

Within this environment lie opportunities and also mountains to climb in order to successfully bring this imagination to an audience. The intimate, thrust stage of the King’s Head Theatre would seem to be the space for this, and as the run of this production continues, it’s advantages will no doubt be accepted, surmounting the challenges, notably the acoustics, with vocal cadences not helped by playing to three sides.

Adapting Poe’s writing, essentially the tormented imagination of the writer, carries with it a vital requirement, that of making the intrinsic melodrama work as well in performance as in the original writing. In an extraordinarily brave performance, Threedumb Theatre’s Artistic Director, Stephen Smith performs and directs himself in bringing to the stage his version of three of Poe’s most famous works and reveals the relish with which Poe indulges horrific pain. THE TELL TALE HEART, perhaps the most frightening of all, is described as an insight into the mind of a madman but is really the sort of horror that has kept THE WOMAN IN BLACK running in the West End for 30 years. THE PIT AND THE PENDULEM is more the horror of personal cruelty. (This version could do with some healthy editing). THE RAVEN, with a wonderful bird to torment the man, is a welcome change from the earlier pieces and gives Mr Smith good characterisation opportunities.

Throughout the evening, it seemed that were this performance to be filmed, the intimacy of a great deal of the rendition would be better served, given Mr Smith’s sotto voce, speed of delivery, but nevertheless passionate performance.

Composer/Sound Designer Joseph Furey, with additional sound by Django Holder gave the production subtle, attractive support.  

ONE MAN POE

King’s Head Theatre 27 December – 7 January 2023

https://kingsheadtheatre.com/whats-on/one-man-poe-a-triple-bill

Cast & Creatives

Writer: Edgar Allan Poe Composer/Sound Designer: Joseph Furey

Performer & Director: Stephen Smith Additional Sound Design: Django Holder

Producer: Threedumb Theatre Supported by: Watford Palace Theatre

Reviewer Saul Reichlin is an actor, writer and multi-award winning audiobook narrator. For many years he was official reviewer for www.chicagocritic.com and remotegoat. (Both of these no longer take reviews)