Edgar Allan Poe’s death remains mysterious to this day. He was found delirious and ill in a tavern on 3rd October 1849 and was dead 4 days of later, of what has been suggested to have been anything from illness, suicide, murder, or even non-consensual electoral fraud gone wrong.
Devised by Leon Witcomb, (who also plays Shape 2 / Fortunato / Old Man / Doctor) Michael Ward (Shape 1/Servant/Policeman/Dr Moran) and Chris Bedford (Poe) uses Poe’s unusual final moments as a starting point, interspersing his final moments in with adaptations of several of his most famous tales. Versions of The Raven, The Cask of Amontillado, The Tell-Tale Heart, Murders In The Rue Morge and The Pit and the Pendulum become a collage of delirious memories, augmented by lights (strobe warning to the photosensitive), sound, projection, and the sweatiness that the Space Surgeon’s Hall prides itself on supplying every year.
As both the central character and the person who never leaves the stage (well, once, for 20 seconds), Bedford is at the centre of the show, bringing a strangeness and manic energy to the role that keeps the show engaging throughout, and he is well-supported by Witcomb and Ward, who make each of their characters distinct, from the humorous to the sinister. The tech is at times jarring and others hypnotic, at times a wall being built, cross-sections of a brain or the low drone that might drive you to kill someone and put their heart under the floorboards.
More than an anthology, this is a show which puts Poe, his work and their performance on an equal footing, presenting them in a new light which is sure to entertain even those who have experienced them before.
Reviewer: Oliver Giggins
Reviewed: 12th August 2025
North West End UK Rating: