Stephen Smith, who directs himself for Threedumb Theatre, in these two gothic horror stories is on a one-man mission to reintroduce the world to Edgar Alan Poe ,whose gothic horror stories were written no less than 200 years ago. Back in the day Hammer certainly had a go at popularising some of them, but Smith brings a far more subtle approach to the genre.

This is his third (at least) trip to the Fringe and a full auditorium at Riddles Court shows that he’s getting the message across with a strong following and a growing reputation.

You won’t see many one person shows performed in unadulterated American Romanticism, so make the most of this one, and the two others he is performing this festival.

The longer and darker, The Black Cat, story is followed by a poetic rendition of the slightly more whimsical The Raven. In each, animals haunt the minds of the protagonists driving them to hysterical madness and in one case, the noose.  So you could certainly describe these shows as gallows humour.

In The Black Cat, Smith is already on stage as we enter.  A demented man at a desk, writing his last letter, but consumed with grief and rage because he can’t find the right words. Over the next 40 minutes we find out why he’s in such a tizz.  It’s all down to a black cat that would be calling the RSPCA if it could speak (and had fingers).  It’s caused no end of troubles to the drunkard character we see before us.

Smith tells the story brilliantly with a grotesque facial expression and torment coursing through his drink-addled body. Both performances are further enhanced by excellent music and sound design by Joseph Furey and Django Holder.

At the conclusion of The Black Cat Smith applies ageing makeup and takes his place stage right in a second set where he becomes an aged man who is again tormented, but this time by a raven (the symbol of death), that mocks him from atop his doorway.  The physical challenges of this short poem-styled story are impressive and once again Smith reels his audience in, not only in performance terms but in the way he uses this strange ancient language in such a way that only great Shakespearean actors can do. He succeeds in making the language meaningful and understandable for all.

These are rather lovely performances, even if the subject matters are not, and it all adds up to a refreshingly different hour of craftsmanship and entertainment that will add a great deal of colour to anyone’s Fringe experience.

One Man Poe is at Willow Studio at Greenside @ Riddles Court until Sat 29 Aug 2026