Poe’s Last Night

A self-professed work in progress, this one-man show is still not ready for public consumption. But isn't this sort of experimentation exactly what the Free Fringe should be doing?

Dawn of the Dead actor David Crawford is not at his best as a rather fidgety Edgar Allan Poe, seemingly unsure of his blocking and avoiding eye contact with the intimate audience. Asking for feedback at the end of the show, Crawford becomes noticeably more likeable; I sense the performance will rocket when he is happy with the material.

The show is essentially a recitation of some of Poe's great works, tied together with a nebulous plot concerning Poe's unusual death. Poe-heads will enjoy recognising the poems and stories woven through the narrative, and may get more from the meta story, whose multiplicity of historical characters and ambiguous overlap with the poems and stories presented are rather confusing.

Hardcore fans of Poe should pop in for Crawford's personable performance of ‘The Raven’ at the climax of the show. Those looking for an introduction to Poe should pop elsewhere.

Laughing Horse @ Espionage, 477 7007, until 26 Aug, 1.15pm, free.