- Award-winning gothic horror phenomenon returns to Heading North Festival and Greater Manchester Fringe
- Two classic Poe tales preview ahead of major 42-show Edinburgh Fringe run
See trailer here.
Award-winning actor and director Stephen Smith returns to Greater Manchester and Merseyside this July with special Edinburgh Fringe preview performances of his acclaimed solo production One Man Poe.
Following appearances at both the Heading North Fringe Festival at Shakespeare North Playhouse and Greater Manchester Fringe in 2025, Smith returns this summer with a different double-bill of Edgar Allan Poe stories.
Last year’s performances featured Poe classics The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum. This year, audiences will encounter two of Poe’s most haunting and celebrated works: The Black Cat follows a man whose descent into alcoholism and violence leads to horrifying consequences, while The Raven presents Poe’s most famous poem – a dark meditation on grief, loss, and obsession.
One Man Poe has become an increasingly recognised presence on the UK theatre circuit, following sell-out runs at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2024 and 2025, alongside winning both The Derek Award for Best Overall Show and the Spookies Award for Best Horror Solo Show.
Across the production, Smith performs entirely solo, having committed nearly 19,000 words of Poe’s original text to memory across six different stories.
Smith says: “One of the joys of One Man Poe is that audiences can encounter completely different sides of Poe’s writing. Last year, Manchester and Prescot audiences experienced The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum. This year, they get two stories that are more supernatural, more poetic, and in many ways even darker.”
The performances form part of Smith’s largest Edinburgh Fringe season to date, where he will present all six Poe stories across three separate productions during a 42-show run.
This year’s Edinburgh Fringe also introduces two brand new additions to the repertoire: The Business Man and The Case of M. Valdemar.
Described by Poe’s descendants as a “tour-de-force”, One Man Poe has toured internationally to Dubai, Malaysia, Italy, New York, Baltimore, and beyond, earning widespread critical acclaim for its atmospheric storytelling and ambitious solo performance style.
LISTINGS INFORMATION
ONE MAN POE @ GREATER MANCHESTER FRINGE
- Venue: The Kings Arms Theatre, 11 Bloom St, Salford M3 6AN
- Dates: Thursday 2nd, Saturday 4th and Sunday 5th July
- Times: 7pm on Thursday, 3pm on Saturday, 5pm on Sunday
- Duration: 55 minutes
- Tickets: : £13.50 (£12 concessions)
- Age guidance: 12+
- Advisory: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes
Tickets: https://greatermanchesterfringe.co.uk/events/one-man-poe-the-black-cat-and-the-raven/
ONE MAN POE @ HEADING NORTH FRINGE FESTIVAL
- Venue: Shakespeare North Playhouse, Prospero Place, Prescot L34 3AB
- Dates: Friday 3rd and Saturday 4th July
- Times: 7:00pm
- Duration: 55 minutes
- Tickets: £12 (£10 concessions)
- Age guidance: 12+
- Advisory: Contains distressing or potentially triggering themes
Tickets: https://shakespearenorthplayhouse.co.uk/event/one-man-poe-2/