Threedumb Theatre Archives - North West End UK

One Man Poe – Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh

31Oct

By Greg HolsteadNo Comments

Scotland

One Man Poe – Lauriston Castle, Edinburgh

As Part of the Edinburgh Horror Festival, at the historic Lauriston Castle overlooking the Firth of Forth, One Man Poe draws a sell-out, expectant audience of barely twenty souls to the Drawing Room for an intimate and spellbinding performance by Stephen Smith of Threedumb Theatre. Smith, nearing the end of his one-month tour of the UK, channelling the high priest of horror, Edgar Allan Poe is very much ‘in the groove’ and barely puts a foot wrong in a precise and electrifying monologue of two of Poe’s finest works. Such is the electricity in the tiny room that we all barely dare to breath, lest we upset Smith’s mesmerising, metronomic delivery. Clever lighting and make up, (self-applied by Smith at half time) and some wonderful sound effects and soundtrack, by Joseph Furey and...

Paved with Gold and Ashes – Old Red Lion Theatre

11Aug

By Khushboo ShahNo Comments

London

Paved with Gold and Ashes – Old Red Lion Theatre

Julia Thurston’s Paved with Gold and Ashes effectively captures the “American” gold-dusted dreams and hopes of five of the many immigrant garment workers employed at The Triangle Shirt Waist Factory. Based on a true story, the play heart-warmingly encapsulates their journeys, working conditions, relationships with each other and the factory in a crisp hour, all leading to the tragic fire claiming the lives of 146 garment workers in 1911. Their interactions- shuffling between each other and the audience are cleverly and cohesively crafted using movement, song and visceral storytelling with directorial support from Maria Cristina Petitti, Warren Rusher, and Stephen Smith. An intimate black box with static warm golden lights, wooden chairs and white fabric create a str...

<strong>Notre Dame – Online Digital Theatre</strong>

27Jan

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

REVIEWS

Notre Dame – Online Digital Theatre

Victor Hugo’s seminal gothic work is brought to life in a new adaptation from writer Stuart Crowther in this live online one-shot promenade performance from the exciting Threedumb Theatre. The story is basically one of obsession and retribution as the three main characters (Esmerelda, Frollo and Quasimodo) plummet into a vortex of passion, hatred and violence. Crowther’s exquisite script breathes new and vibrant life into a story that is perhaps over familiar to many, but the strength of the writing ensures that the characterisation is both fresh and dynamic. Stephen Smith’s adroit direction is thoughtful and painstakingly detailed throughout and he gets some fine performances from his small cast of four. Gary Duncan as the tortured Quasimodo gives a hugely sensiti...

Dog/Actor – Greenside at Infirmary Street

17Aug

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

Scotland

Dog/Actor – Greenside at Infirmary Street

From the pen of Steven Berkoff, these two short plays offer two vastly different stories, and a chance for ThreeDumb Theatre to show off their flexibility. ThreeDumb was formed in 2015, by LIPA graduates who have since gone on to produce plays such as Am I Happy Yet which received an OffComm Award, and their multiple award-winning digital offering Edgar Allan Poe’s The Black Cat, and One Man Poe. Dog follows the relationship of a graffiti spraying, racist football hooligan who is devoted to his dog, Roy. The two are inseparable and Roy accompanies his devoted owner wherever he goes, even eating pies at the pub with him. It is fair to say that Roy the pit-bull, is not the friendliest of dogs, savaging anyone who crosses his path, but he is a friend to his skinhead owne...

6May

By Kiefer WilliamsNo Comments

North West

Dog/Actor – Hope Street Theatre

Steven Berkoff’s eloquent and evocative double bill performance of Dog / Actor is brought to the stage by Threedumb Theatre, and I have to say it is truly a masterclass in both physical and comedic theatre. Stephen Smith, who is also the artistic director for Threedumb, is the solo performer of this back-to-back double bill and he really excels in this challenging piece. In Dog, Smith portrays a racist foul-mouthed football hooligan with his companion pit bull Roy. Smith uses every part of the studio space to significant effect and provides the audience with a strong and ever-increasing sense of rage. It is without question an uncompromising and difficult piece for any actor to perform but Smith finds the right tempo throughout. Excellent lighting also adds texture to Dog. ...

One Man Poe Livestream – The Space Online

23Oct

By Caroline WorswickNo Comments

London

One Man Poe Livestream – The Space Online

Written in the 1840’s by Edgar Allan Poe, this quartet of short stories and a poem show off to best effect Poe’s interest in the dark side of human nature. Many writers have been inspired by the works of Poe, who pioneered the genre of ‘horror’, and his work is still as popular today. Artistic Director of Threedumb Theatre, Stephen Smith has taken his passion for gothic horror and the original works of Poe and created a one-person show using an unknown narrator to deliver these authentic Poe tales. Smith is directing and performing all the roles himself. First off is ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’, a disturbing look inside the mind of an unnamed narrator who is believed to be insane, but he will try to convince the audience that he is sane, by describing the events that led up to a brutal murde...

The Black Cat – Threedumb Theatre @ the Space

24Mar

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

The Black Cat – Threedumb Theatre @ the Space

Edgar Allen Poe’s macabre short story written in 1843 is one of the finest examples of gothic horror ever written. The story explores the psychology of guilt and the consequences of a grim and unspeakable crime. It is also a story about revenge and retribution but to go any further in its description would spoil all the fun. Suffice to say, after The Tell Tale Heart this is probably one of Poe’s most accessible and memorable stories and Threedumb Theatre using their now familiar live-stream one take promenade approach gives us a richly dark and quite chilling rendition of this strange story. Stephen Smith (who also directs this piece) plays the haunted yet totally unsympathetic narrator whist Michaela Bennison plays the narrators wife. Both actors exude great energy throughout but i...

29Jun

By Paul DownhamNo Comments

REVIEWS

Within – Threedumb Theatre Live

Joseph Furey’s one man play tells the story of an isolated and lonely young man who downloads a creepy AI app which promises to show him the meaning of life. Even though the sci-fi element is strangely familiar, Furey’s script is interesting and quite poignant in parts. Stephen Smith (who also directs this piece) plays the young man with a great deal of energy throughout his AI torture with the mysterious and at times rather annoying AI voice S.U.E (voiced by Millie Webber). This is a play that explores isolation (quite apt for the times that we live in) and it also looks at vulnerability and how easy it is to be attacked from malevolent forces hiding in plain sight. Smith’s character is intense and just a fraction overstated and I felt that the play was a touch overlong (may...