Lenore: A Tale of Mournful and Never-ending Remembrance.

Edgar Allan Poe (1809-1849) was an American gothic writer. best known for his poems and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He has inspired generations of creatives to produce material that reflects on his works.

Lenore, co-written by Amy Hollow and Steven T. Bolts (director), produced by Knack Theatre and presented by Cracked Actors Theatre is a fascinating feminist-inspired mystery, set during Poe’s life. A story within a story revolves around the beautiful and emotional yet level-headed Lenore (Bridget Morrison), her two suitors Beaumont (Sebastiano Pitruzzello) an artist on the brink of madness, born into money who carries a dark family secret and Sidney (Vincent Pidal), a young doctor.

The opening scene sees Edgar Allan Poe (Aiden McHarg) reciting his most famous poem The Raven. He is then hastily ushered by Beaumont (his trusted friend) to the home of wealthy art patrons Mr Matheson (Aston Elliot) and Mrs Matheson (Sandy Morrison) for drinks, where Beaumont meets Lenore for the first time. They fall in love and marry hastily - she maintains her tailoring business (a family inheritance). At first she refuses to relinquish her independence, yet these were trying times for married middle class women - despite her strengths it is her innocence that falls prey to Beaumont’s rage and uncontrollable madness.

The mix of fictional characters and real people offers absorbing narrative dichotomies; Hollows and Bolts have developed a spellbinding storyline with unpredictable twists and turns. Bolts states in the program notes that Lenore is his homage to Poe and Roger Corman (film director) for his series of eight feature films (1959-1964) based on Poe’s works.

McHarg is quite captivating as the eccentric genius who offers comical moments such as when he gifts the newlyweds a caged raven. He makes references to his muse Charles Dickens, who kept a raven - a much loved family pet called Grip - later utilised as a pet character in his final novel Barnaby Rudge. All actors deliver absorbing, fine and gentile performances reflecting on the constraints of polite upper middle class American society.

Lenore is a compelling piece of work that captures the gothic inspired Poe era; Bolts subtle direction provides nuanced and composed performance, along with claustrophobic askew sets (Neil McLellan), lighting (Jason Ng Junjie), sound and score composition (Lachlan Watts). Knack Theatre has created an engaging and challenging theatre production, with special mention to Cracked Actors Theatre for maintaining and providing a venue for small independent theatre groups.

Flora Georgiou

Images: Dane Travers Photography