Clay Hill Farm Presents... "Edgar Allan Poe's ASYLUM," an Immersive Theatrical Dining Experience

Kirk Simpson returns for his 15th year performing as Poe with eight performances
October 21-November 8, 2026

CAPE NEDDICK, Maine — An elegant autumn dinner takes an unsettling turn this October as Clay Hill Farm

presents Edgar Allan Poe's ASYLUM, an immersive theatrical dining experience that brings the author's tales of

obsession, madness and melancholy directly to the table. Opening October 21, the production runs for eight

performances on select dates through November 8.

Set within the imagined world of an unhinged Victorian estate, ASYLUM draws inspiration from Poe's darkly comic

short story The System of Doctor Tarr and Professor Fether. The evening's host, the charismatic and deeply eccentric

Monsieur Maillard, welcomes diners to a feast where appearances grow increasingly deceptive and the boundaries

between sanity and delusion begin to dissolve.

As guests enjoy a multi-course dinner, the performance unfolds around them, with Poe's prose delivered tableside

between courses. The creeping horror of Berenice gives way to the frantic paranoia of The Tell-Tale Heart and the

haunting grief of The Raven. Candlelight, an eerie estate staff, unsettling props and unexpected moments turn the

intimate dining room into a setting for classic gothic suspense.

The production marks Kirk Simpson's 15th year performing as Edgar Allan Poe at Clay Hill Farm. Combining

dramatic storytelling with the immediacy of intimate theater, Simpson invites audiences into Poe's world for an

evening that is by turns darkly humorous, unnerving and poignant.

Guests are welcome, though not required, to wear Victorian Gothic attire and become part of the evening's atmosphere.

Performance and reservation details:

Dates: Eight performances on select dates October 21-November 8, 2026.

Location: Clay Hill Farm Restaurant, Cape Neddick, Maine.

Tickets: $30 per person, plus food and beverage. A $35 food-and-beverage minimum applies per ticket.

Arrival: Doors open 30 minutes before showtime.

Reservations: Required. Call (207) 361-2272 or visit ClayHillFarm.com for reservations and the performance

schedule.

**Audience advisory: Recommended for ages 13 and older due to dark themes and grisly subject matter.

Seating is limited to preserve the production's intimate parlor atmosphere. Early reservations are encouraged.

Simpson's Clay Hill Farm residency continues in December with Dinner with Dickens, featuring a one-man

performance of A Christmas Carol, followed by Robert Frost: Fire & Ice in February 2027.

About Kirk Simpson and Clay Hill Farm

Kirk Simpson started performing back in 1985 where he began his career in acting at the local Renaissance Faire in

Largo, Florida, from there the next 36 years were filled with Renaissance Faires across the east coast, musical theater,

theater, children's theater, interactive themed events and so much more. Fresh from playing King Richard at King

Richard's Faire in Carver, MA, where he has reigned for the last 7 years, Simpson currently resides in South Berwick

with his husband and family.

Clay Hill Farm is an award-winning restaurant and special event venue on 11 private acres in Cape Neddick, Maine.

Clay Hill Farm is a proud supporter of both the community and the arts, with a passion for locally sourced food and

professional service to offer an authentic Maine experience.