Performed by Stephen Smith
One Man Poe is back in London after a sell-out run at both the 2024 and 2025 Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2024, it won the Spookies Award for Best Horror Solo Show, and in 2025, it was awarded The Derek Award for Best Overall Show, surpassing over 3,200 shows which were also judged for this prize.
Renowned as the ‘Godfather of Gothic Horror’, Edgar Allan Poe was a pioneer in establishing the horror genre. Although his works are nearly 200 years old, Poe’s stories have stood the test of time and have inspired a countless number of horror writers.
Poe’s archaic language paired with Smith’s award-winning tour-de-force performance offers gothic horror fans and classical literature lovers an atmospheric evening rich with imaginative storytelling, making this truly a marathon of the macabre.
Using Edgar Allan Poe’s original text from the 1840s, award-winning storyteller Stephen Smith faithfully brings to life three of the most terrifying examples of the gothic genre from the pioneering Godfather of Gothic Horror as never before.
The Tell-Tale Heart is an insight into the mind of a madman, convincing us he is sane.
The Pit and the Pendulum follows a prisoner of the dreaded Spanish Inquisition, undergoing various mental and physical tortures.
The Raven is a poignant poem surrounding grief and remembrance – featuring an ominous talking raven.
One Man Poe is produced by four-time OFFIE Award-winning theatre company Threedumb Theatre, and is performed and directed by its Artistic Director, Stephen Smith.
Brockley Jack Studio Theatre, 410 Brockley Road, London, SE4 2DH
Box office: www.brockleyjack.co.uk or 0333 666 3366 (£1.80 fee for phone bookings only)
Dates: Tues 28 October to Sat 1 November 2025 at 7.30pm
Tickets: £17, £15 concessions (suitable for 14+)
Running time: 75 minutes, with no interval
