An American horror writer and a British children’s story author walk into a bar…or in the case of Eldritch Theatre’s The House at Poe Corner, they walk into the Woodland of Weir, never to be heard from again. Resurrected for its ten year deathiversary, The House at Poe Corner (written by Micheal O’Brien and Eric Woolfe) recounts some of Edgar Allan Poe’s most terrifying tales and poems using the characters from A. A. Milne’s beloved “Winnie the Pooh” series. In a mad mashup of malevolent brilliance, The House at Poe Corner delivers frights and delights in equal measure.

Edgar and Allan love to tell stories, and occasionally sing a warble or two, with the help of their trusty band of puppets. The House at Poe Corner tells of the many adventures of Poe Bear and his friends: Cutlet, Gloomhoof, Jack Hare, Nightfowl, Vilecat, Walla, and Bee. We hear of their death-defying, and more often death-inducing, adventures through the Woodland of Weir as they await the return of their friend Mr. Usher. There’s casks of bumblegoo, deep pits with swinging blades, beetles able to come back to life, and you’d best watch over your shoulder for the dreaded Blunderbeast.

Eldritch Theatre out-Eldritches itself with this play; it had everything that I’ve learned to expect from a trip to the Red Sandcastle Theatre but with a brilliantly literary twist. I was unsure going into it just how these two worlds were going to blend together; “Winnie the Pooh” is the epitome of childhood innocence, while Poe’s works are of a macabre, frightening, and far more adult nature. Yet putting these recognizable characters into this other world worked perfectly. O’Brien and Woolfe were able to take the elements we love of both genres and put them into one cleverly woven tale. While there weren’t quite as many magic tricks as usual, the ones which were done fit in perfectly with the story and the whole audience “ooos” and “aaahhs” along with the illusions. I absolutely love the songs they perform in this play; they are dark and creepy, amplifying the spooky nature of the show and turning Poe’s iconic poetry into jaunty song. I still find myself marvelling at how smart and well-crafted this play is; it truly went above and beyond my expectations.

Starring as Edgar and Allan, and puppeteering the inhabitants of the Woodland of Weir, are Eric Woolfe and Mairi Babb. This dynamic duo of storytellers are the perfect combo to bring this haunting tale to life. Woolfe’s interactions with the audience and dead-pan delivery are a constant delight for me. Babb has the most beautiful singing voice and her genuine enthusiasm comes through even in a dreary character. Both of them puppeteer masterfully; I love when they’re both in control of the same puppet, your can feel their passion for their craft especially in those moments. Everything from their costuming to their accents gives us this air of being in a haunted bayou in Louisiana, all of it precisely tailored to fit their terrible tales.

Bring your emotional support teddy (like I did) and get down to the Red Sandcastle Theatre to see The House at Poe Corner. On the website it mentions that this production is NOT for children and I’d like to emphatically agree. However, the dead little children in all of us adults will rejoice at this imaginative and chilling spectacle. For more information and tickets, visit: https://eldritchtheatre.ca/poecorner/

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Cover photo: Mairi Babb and Eric Woolfe. Photo by Adrianna Prosser

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