A Hallowe’en double bill promises to put shivers down the spine when two Edgar Allan Poe adaptations take the stage at the Maltings Arts Theatre in St Albans.
Holly Road Productions are putting on The Masque of the Red Death and The Fall of the House of Usher at 8pm on Sunday and Monday, October 30 and 31.
The stories have been adapted by Jack Stanley and follow three friends who share chilling tales as they journey through a dilapidated house - and as the night draws on, not everything is what it seems.
The show’s artistic director Alex Bell said: “We are all massive fans of Gothic horror and Edgar Allan Poe in particular, so it’s great to bring that passion to the stage.
“We are very excited to be endorsing new writing once more, having previously collaborated with Jack Stanley, we are proud to be working on his new adaptations of The Masque of The Red Death and The Fall of The House of Usher.
Director Stanley Walton said: “Working with a writer on a brand new adaptation of an established historic text is a thrilling challenge - especially the celebrated gothic horror writer Edgar Allan Poe.
“Jack has cunningly taken the sinister feel of Poe’s tales and put them in a modern context as we meet three youngsters on a haunting Halloween adventure. I’ve worked with Jack on two of his original plays prior to this and can’t wait to delve into this one.”
Holly Road Productions, which was founded in August 2015 by two graduates from the University of Northampton, have had a successful first year with productions ranging from Pinter to Shakespeare. They are making a return to the Maltings Arts Theatre with the two stories performed by Liam Hynes, Harriet Easdale and Lauren Clancey. Tickets at £10 with concessions £7.50 are available from the Maltings website.
* Before the theatre is transformed into something ghoulish, Katie Gallagher and her band of ukulele players take the stage at 8pm this Saturday, October 29.
Local band and Maltings Theatre regulars Katie’s Jumping Fleas cover everything from Abba to Yazoo, via The Beatles, McFly, Springsteen, The Stones, Take That, Van the Man and many more.
All proceeds go to Woodfield School in Hemel Hempstead which looks after children with severe and complex learning difficulties.
Tickets at £12 with concessions £11 and under-18s £7.50 can be obtained from here.
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