The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum
The Tell-Tale Heart and The Pit and the Pendulum by One Man Poe is a show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026, performing at Greenside @ Riddles Court. It has 14 performances listed, running from Sat 8 Aug, 18:35 to Sat 29 Aug, 12:45. The run has finished — every listed performance has taken place.
About this show
Using the original Edgar Allan Poe publications from 1840s, award-winning storyteller Stephen Smith faithfully brings to life the most terrifying tales, from the pioneering Godfather of Gothic Horror. In The Tell-Tale Heart, we meet a madman convincing us of his sanity, whilst explaining a murder he's committed, with meticulous detail. Then, in The Pit and the Pendulum, we join a prisoner attempting to escape the various torture devices of the dreaded Spanish Inquisition. 'Could not have been more wow-ed by this 'marathon of the macabre'' * (National).
Details
- Performer: One Man Poe
- Venue: Greenside @ Riddles Court
- Space: Willow Studio
- Genre: THEATRE, Horror, Thriller
- Country: UNITED KINGDOM - ENGLAND
- Running time: 60 minutes
- Room size: about 60 seats (Willow Studio) — the Fringe box office sells a share of the room, not all of it
- Performances listed: 14, of which 0 still to come and on sale
Accessibility
- Wheelchair access: lift
- Access features: Step-free access, Accessible toilet
- Venue notes: Wheelchair access type:Lift (Building Lift) Stairs: None Number of stairs is provided as guidance and is not in addition to any wheelchair access type (lift/ramp etc) stated above.
What the reviewers said
We have captured 3 published reviews and 23 audience reviews for this show from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe’s own listing. The excerpts below are the reviewers’ words, not ours — follow each link for the full review.
Stephen Smith in One Man Poe is a must-see at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe - his performance is nothing short of outstanding and we’re sure it must be in the other stories too.
— West End Best Friend (5 out of 5 stars)
I went into this show knowing the story of The Pit and the Pendulum but not with The Tell-Tale Heart so I was excited to see both the familiar and unfamiliar presented in the same show by one performer.
— Edinburgh Reviews (5 out of 5 stars)
There may be no better setting to witness the works of Edgar Allan Poe come alive than in the Gothic greatness of Edinburgh’s Old Town.
— The Student (5 out of 5 stars)
Performance dates and ticket availability
- Sat 8 Aug, 18:35 — Already performed — £12.50
- Sun 9 Aug, 12:45 — Already performed — £16.00
- Tue 11 Aug, 18:35 — Already performed — £17.00
- Wed 12 Aug, 12:45 — Already performed — £16.00
- Fri 14 Aug, 18:35 — Already performed — £17.00
- Sat 15 Aug, 12:45 — Already performed — £16.00
- Tue 18 Aug, 18:35 — Already performed — £17.00
- Wed 19 Aug, 12:45 — Already performed — £16.00
- Fri 21 Aug, 18:35 — Already performed — £17.00
- Sat 22 Aug, 12:45 — Already performed — £16.00
- Tue 25 Aug, 18:35 — Already performed — £17.00
- Wed 26 Aug, 12:45 — Already performed — £16.00
- Fri 28 Aug, 18:35 — Already performed — £17.00
- Sat 29 Aug, 12:45 — Already performed — £16.00