Edinburgh Fringe 2026
Vampires of Mississippi
Corbin Rhys Jones
Genre: Horror, One Person Show
Venue: Banshee Labyrinth
Festival: Edinburgh Fringe
Low Down
A 50 minute, one man show that recounts the tale of how a man attempted to save his children from the Spanish flu by seeking the help of two creatures of the night.
Review
Directed by Ashley Barlow and starring Corin Rhys Jones as its one and only character, Vampires of Mississippi follows the lead’s recounting of how he came to seek the help of two vampires, who had been isolated on an island out on the nearby lake.
The Lead (who remains nameless for the show) is portrayed with authenticity with a strong performance and an accent that seemed natural to the lead as if it were his own. To keep an audience’s attention on your own is no easy task but the raw emotions that came from the character made the audience hang on his every word. The performer managed to hold the room in tension, using all areas of the stage (and beyond) as the different locations the character visits during his story, assisted by changes in lighting and sound cues. The technique is used most effectively when the lead leaps down into the front row of seats, his descent into the Vampires’ home, and projects directly into the audience’s faces as his fear grows.
The set was minimalist, only including a chair, a half-drunk bottle of whiskey and a coffin that sat center stage for the entire runtime, leaving the audience to wonder the reason for its presence; will something jump out of it? What does this mean for the fate of this family? The minimalist set perfectly accompanies the play as the character is able to create the vivid images for the audience to picture on their own.
While some plays struggle to find reason for their characters to be addressing the audience so forwardly, Vampires of Mississippi easily involves its audience by making us the townsfolk who have come to confront him for the crimes he has committed, and this gives ample reason for the lead to be explaining himself in such detail.
While Vampires of Mississippi is not ideal for those who are easily frightened, it is a strong showcase of how a strong presence and performance can produce some fantastic nail-biting tension.
