The Tell-Tale Heart & The Masque of the Red Death
Known throughout the world as the master of the macabre, Edgar Allan Poe is one of America's most brilliant and original writers. Although he cared less for his short stories than his poems, and indeed considered himself primarily a poet, it is for his tales that he eventually became best known.
Much of his work has been adapted for the stage and screen, including 'The Masque of the Red Death', 'The Raven' and 'The Fall of the House of Usher'.
Ramesh makes use of Poe's narrative style and explicit images as resources for making a piece of purely visual theatre. The adaptations go beyond a literal translation of Poe's writing to combine an eclectic mix of visual and physical styles in order to present the dark characters and sinister plots. This is storytelling in a purely visual form.
The Tell-Tale Heart
Two characters, a master, a servant. Poe's 'master' in this tale is stripped of his independence and relies on his servant to wait on him hand and foot, such a relationship requires a great deal of trust. The servant senses and resents his 'masters' constant presence, feeling he is always being watched. But who is watching who? With a lack of trust, a growing sense of paranoia ensues, with every movement being watched leading to a sinister and bloody conclusion.
The Masque of the Red Death
Poe's tale appears to tell the story of a Prince who locks himself away in an attempt to prevent death from a plague, but learns that we cannot protect ourselves from the inevitable. This adaptation explores the basic fear of death, how it haunts us in our dreams and nightmares and how we try desperately to avoid its inevitability.
Directed/Adapted/Performed: Ramesh Meyyappan Lighting Design: Justin Breman
"Meyyappan's performance accrues an engaging momentum." - CityPaper January 2006, America
"It is an adaptation that abstracts the allegorical short into a poignantly streamlined vision of paranoid isolation, yielding a wordless experience as creepily unnerving as Poe's words." - CityPaper January 2005
"...adapted with imagination and thought" - The Flying Inkpot September 2004, Singapore
"Ramesh's storytelling actually casts new light on the many facets of the story and its themes." The Flying Inkpot September 2004, Singapore
"Ramesh showed a confident grasp of rhythm in his dramatic pacing, and his various character transitions, from haunted murderer to debauched prince, were accomplished with an easy grace" - Life! Straits Times August 2004, Singapore
Toured: United Kingdom, Sweden, Austria, Poland, Singapore and America
