Review: One Man Poe: The Business Man and The Case of M. Valdemar, Greenside @ Riddles Court

Stephen Smith is one of those actors who, when he commits to something, commits 100%. When I bump into him in the street during the week, he is standing atop a bollard holding what appears to be a rather heavy sign high in the air. I’m genuinely worried he might strain himself.

That commitment is also fully on display by his Edinburgh offerings. Not one, not two, but three shows, two a day for the entire month. And each show is in fact two stories in one, as he presents six different Edgar Allan Poe tales in their entirety. There are a lot of words to learn! The other double bills see him performing The Tell-Tale Heart, and The Pit, and The Pendulum, along with The Black Cat, and The Raven. These four are the more well-known of Allan’s work, while the two on offer at this performance, The Business Man and The Case of M. Valdemar, are perhaps two that are so commonly discussed, making it all the more interesting to discover them.

Opening with The Business Man, we find Smith and team in full American regalia, with the stage similarly decked out. There’s no doubting this businessman is living the American dream where anyone can make it if they try. The story is apparently one of Poe’s few forays into comedy, and as such it lacks the darkness of his other work. But Smith plays it to the fullest as he takes us through Peter Proffit’s business career, from his early start as a walking advertisement to his later less ethical businesses. The small details stand out: the battered suitcase, the black-and-white photos, the easel upon which he displays each business venture. Together they build a full picture of the show, while Smith himself never falters in his American accent. It’s a polished performance that can’t be faulted. It’s more that the story itself lacks the appeal of Poe’s other works; the unexpected twist at the end is not quite enough to give the story a satisfying ending.

The Case of M. Valdemar returns us to what we expect from Poe, something with a sinister edge that does leave you wondering how it will conclude. Here we meet a mesmerist with a fascination with what would happen if you hypnotised a man at the moment of death. This second play allows Smith to demonstrate his more gothic leanings. The lighting is used to full effect to provide a little horror, something the audience is surely craving, because why come to Poe if not for the horror? This makes this second piece the more fulfilling of the two.

But it’s not just the stories that help the show stand out. It is that commitment to putting on a full performance. Even the set change between the two is done with a flourish, allowing us to watch Smith transform from businessman to something much more sinister. His support team (Sierra Callaghan and Matt Leazer), decked out in fine Yankee attire, work around him as he paints his face and sets for a completely different performance. 

While the two offerings are clearly not Poe’s best work, there can be no faulting Smith’s approach to them. It’s a pleasure to watch someone commit in such style, carrying the stories with the delivery.

Written by Edgar Allan Poe
Directed & Produced by Stephen Smith
Tech Operator: Stephanie Van Driesen

One Man Poe plays at Greenside @ Riddlers Court until Saturday 29 August as part of the Edinburgh Fringe