From Inpress Magazine (Melbourne), Issue 632, 18-Oct-00
PERFORMANCE I MIGHT BE EDGAR ALLAN POE
(Chapel Off Chapel)
Hmmm this is the second Poe production in this year's Fringe; fascination with his melancholic works seems to continue unabated, with literary interest fuelled by his rather sad and desperate biographical details.
Writer Dawson Nicols' drew on aspects of Poe's life in this intriguing play about a genial mental patient who thinks he might just be "the master of horror fiction". As the solo actor who took on an assortment of characters, David Hayward's performance was compelling and powerful. His strong, mellifluous voice reverberated in the small theatre room and for two hours or so we were engrossed in this multi-faceted drama about death and despair and the thin line between "normality" and "insanity". Fans of Poe will be pleased to know that The Raven and The Tell-tale Heart were lovingly recited in this carefully crafted tribute.
Thuy On