POEt

Raving Mad Theatre is the pseudonym for performer Richard Mead, whose one-man play looked at the great gothic horror author Edgar Allan Poe. There have been many depictions of Poe’s famous weakness for alcohol, turbulent, troubled mind and tragic lost love; the USP here was that POEt focused on his words and poetic talent (the clue’s in the title) at the show’s core. Through impassioned renditions in a convincing Baltimore accent, ‘How To Write A Blackwood Article’, ‘The Tell-Tale Heart’ and, of course, ‘The Raven’, drew moving parallels with the author’s benighted life and work to often brilliant effect. (Runs until 1 June 2013)

Hilton Metropole, 29 May 2013
Rating:
Nick Aldwinckle