One Man Poe returns to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2026, bringing an expanded collection of Edgar Allan Poe’s most chilling tales to the atmospheric surroundings of Greenside’s Riddles Court.
After sell-out runs and award-winning success in previous years, performer and director Stephen Smith takes audiences deeper into Gothic horror with six stories from the master of the macabre. Alongside classics including The Tell-Tale Heart, The Pit and the Pendulum, The Black Cat and The Raven, this year introduces two additional tales: The Business Man and The Case of M. Valdemar.
Performed as a series of alternating two-story shows, the production combines vivid storytelling with an immersive setting to create an unsettling theatrical experience. Smith, who has committed over 18,000 words of Poe’s work to memory, approaches the material as “living theatre, not museum pieces,” exploring both the author’s dark imagination and his biting wit.
Set against the Gothic backdrop of the Willow Studio, complete with looming chandeliers and historic surroundings, One Man Poe invites audiences to immerse themselves in worlds of suspense, guilt and psychological terror.
With critical acclaim and a growing reputation as a Fringe favourite, the show continues to captivate both horror enthusiasts and lovers of classic literature.
One Man Poe runs at Greenside @ Riddles Court from 7 – 29 August at Various Times. Tickets are on sale here
