Some shows rattle around in your head for hours after the curtain falls, and One Man Poe is one of them.
Performed in the intimate upstairs theatre of The Kings Arms in Salford, this darkly mesmerising double bill brings two of Edgar Allan Poe’s most chilling stories to life: The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum. No elaborate set. No costume changes. Just one man, a handful of candles, and a voice that commands the room. And honestly, That’s all it needs.
One Man Poe at Kings Arms
Stephen Smith, award-winning storyteller and actor, holds the audience in the palm of his hand from the first word. I wasn’t sure what to expect going in, but within minutes, I found myself completely locked in, breath held, heart pounding just a little faster than before.
First up is The Tell-Tale Heart, the tale of a man who insists he is perfectly sane, even as he describes the murder he’s committed and the guilt that won’t let him rest. A straight-jacketed man claims that his keen senses are the reason he isn’t insane. He has a vendetta against an elderly man with a terrifying gaze, and his will to get rid of this innocent person pushes his creativity to the limit.
Smith’s portrayal of the unnamed narrator is taut, twitchy, and utterly compelling. You can feel the madness simmering just under the surface, the erratic energy building with every line. It’s intense, physical storytelling, and in a space as small as The Kings Arms, there’s nowhere to hide, which is what makes it so brilliant. You’re right there in it, whether you want to be or not.
Every flick of the hand, every twitch of the eye, every word spat or whispered adds to the suffocating intensity. He draws you in close, holding the tension like a wire pulled taut. Smith doesn’t just perform the words, he embodies them.
“The madness creeps up like a shadow”
The madness builds slowly, creeping up like a shadow, until it explodes in a confession that feels both inevitable and unbearable. You’re not watching someone tell a story; you’re watching a man unravel.
After a short pause to catch our breath (and maybe check our pulses), we dive into The Pit and the Pendulum. This one’s less about madness and more about survival — a prisoner of the Spanish Inquisition facing psychological and physical torture. Smith paces the stage like a caged animal, each movement measured, each word heavy with dread. He captures the psychological terror of facing the unknown, and the physical threat of a slow, swinging death. Again, Smith proves he doesn’t need bells and whistles to hold your attention. With nothing more than a chair and his voice, he conjures the image of the swinging blade, the rats in the dark, the overwhelming sense of dread.
The enduring power of Edgar Allen Poe
There’s a reason Poe’s stories have endured for generations, but it takes a performer like Smith to breathe such new life into them. He doesn’t just recite the words — he lives them, moment by moment, drawing the audience deeper into the darkness with every breath.
One Man Poe is part of a wider project that includes The Black Cat and The Raven in other installments — and after this, I’d happily follow Stephen Smith through every one of them. Whether you’re a lifelong Poe fan or just up for something a bit different on a rainy Manchester evening, this show is an absolute must.
I left the theatre buzzing — and not just from the adrenaline. This is the kind of show that reminds you of the power of live performance. No screens, no distractions. Just a man, a story, and an audience willing to go with him into the dark.
And yes — you might just leave with your heart beating a little louder than before.
Tickets for One Man Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum at The Kings Arms
One Man Poe: The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum is at the Kings Arms until 5th July and can be booked here.
