As part of our Surrey in Edinburgh series we sent one of our most experienced theatre reviewers up to the Fringe to see what's going on. The House of Edgar was a resounding success for Amanda Hodges in this 4 STAR review
House of Edgar
Brilliantly original, the team behind Thomas F Arnold’s terrific new musical should be congratulated for their verve as they take a challenging subject – Edgar Allen Poe – and create a memorably spine-chilling Gothic treat. Arnold’s show – which makes good use of a small band playing live on stage – fuses aspects of Poe’s life story with that of a selection of his eerie stories like The Tell-Tale Heart and The Raven re-imagined to compelling effect.
As the show opens Poe has recently died and mysteriously bequeathed his house to his supercilious rival Rufus Griswold, a critic and editor convinced of Poe’s insanity who burns his books in an attempt to be free of what he perceives as the writer’s malign influence. Slowly he becomes possessed by what may be the troubled spirit of Poe himself or is it merely the beguiling stories casting a dark and powerful spell upon his susceptible mind? Beth Cowley, making vigorous use of the venue, directs her cast (mainly University of Exeter graduates) with real aplomb, creating just the right atmosphere of stealthy menace and encroaching horror, whilst Arnold’s evocative score and witty, inventive lyrics perfectly match the sombre tone of Poe’s macabre tales.
The sweet-voiced Eoin McAndrew is a first-rate Griswold anchoring the production with his convincing portrayal of a man driven to the fringes of sanity and the quality of the whole ensemble is superb, each contributing to what becomes a truly exciting piece of work, delivered with panache and polish.
The House of Edgar is at the Space on the Mile, 80 High St. Venue 39 at 10.10pm daily until August 27 for ticket visit edfringe.com or call 0131 510 2382
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