Edgar in the Red Room – The Hope Theatre

All the way from New York, The Shylock Project bring their Edgar Allan Poe – inspired Gothic musical to London. Collaging elements from a variety of Poe’s stories and poems, from his most famous works such as The Raven or The Fall of the House of Usher to multitudinous deeper cuts, Edgar in the Red Room tells an original story exploring the life, death, and legacy of Edgar Allan Poe.

Poe aficionados will delight in spotting the various references, while those less familiar with his work will enjoy being exposed to these spooky components for the first time. Poe – played by both Morgan Smith and Sammy Overton – is both narrator and protagonist, but it gradually becomes apparent that he is not in control of the story as it whisks him along on a surreal and frightening journey into the macabre.

The costumes – designed by Kylee Galarneau and Katharine Tarkulich – are fantastic. Particularly impressive is the Woman in Black’s raven-inspired costume, with huge ornate wings that can be spread out impressively one moment and seamlessly tucked away the next. Maya June Dwyer, who plays the Woman in Black and who also choreographed the show, inhabits this costume perfectly, moving with effortless but sinister grace and fluidity The production design is equally impactful. Projection and shadow puppetry are used together to great effect. The shadow puppetry feels dynamic, making use of gorgeous stylised puppets as well as the performers’ hands, while the light sources energetically move around, expanding and shrinking and changing colour. With so many intricate moving parts, some moments felt like they could have used a bit more polish and rehearsal time; actors would occasionally bump into the projection screen, causing it to wobble precariously and distractingly.

All performances were all solid. The standout was Kilian Crowley as Roderick Usher. Crowley switches from understated creepiness to deadpan humour to scenery-chewing insanity with ease. Morgan Smith and Sammy Overton are also great as The Writer, decked out in fake moustaches and floppy wigs. All of the performers had good singing voices, and the songs were enjoyable. They ranged from jaunty and playfully macabre, to tender and sincere, to genuinely spooky. The shifting tone and occasional meta humour helped to reinforce the surreal feeling of the show, which reflects the insanity of Poe’s final days before his mysterious death.

Overall, Edgar in the Red Room is a great time, offering a wonderful balance of fun, poignancy, and Gothic thrills that will entertain Poe fans and everyone else.

Edgar in the Red Room runs until 14^th of February at The Hope Theatre, with tickets available at https://www.thehopetheatre.com/.

Reviewer: Charles Edward Pipe

Reviewed: 5th February 2026

North West End UK Rating: