Star-studded cast set to thrill with Misery

A small but star-studded cast is bringing the stage adaptation of Stephen King’s psychological thriller Misery to Palmerston North.

The Centrepoint Theatre production is directed by Lara Macgregor and will star Neill Rea (The Brokenwood Mysteries), Alison Bruce (The Power of the Dog) and local performer Phil Anstis.

The show opens tonight and will have a 25 performance run before wrapping up on July 2.

Macgregor said the show was demanding on the actors. It was essentially a two-hander between Rea and Bruce, with Anstis coming in to throw a spanner in the works for a few scenes.

‘‘It is a psychological thriller, and it’s finding the psychological tension between two people for an hour and a half non-stop on stage.’’

The show is about best-selling novelist Paul Sheldon, played by Rea, who is injured in a crash somewhere in rural Colorado and rescued – or trapped – by his number one fan Annie Wilkes, played by Bruce.

The stage play was written by Wil

Actor Neill Rea

liam Goldman, who also wrote the screenplay for the film.

Rea said one of best parts of the show was all the tricks, which would make the audience question how they pulled some things off.

Despite it being a psychological thriller, he said there could be plenty of laughs for the audience.

‘‘There is lots of gallows humour in it. I think for an audience it will be very amusing.’’

Centrepoint general manager Kate Louise Elliott said it was a chance for the Palmerston North audience to see some of New Zealand’s best actors.

‘‘It’s an opportunity to see two of the best actors in the country, on our stage, right in front of us. It’s a huge treat for us to have all of these guys here.’’

Set designer Sean Coyle, costume

‘‘There is lots of gallows humour in it. I think for an audience it will be very amusing.’’

designer Shiloh Dobie, lighting designer Talya Pilcher, and sound designer Andy Manning had all brought their own inspirations to aid the directors vision.

Anstis said Centrepoint Theatre was a great space to stage the show because it was a relatively small and intimate space.

‘‘This theatre, for this show in particular, you can be a voyeur, but you can’t escape.

‘‘You are safe, you are looking in on this, but you are also too close to completely distance yourself from what you are seeing.’’

Misery runs until July 2 and tickets can be purchased online or from the Centrepoint Theatre box office.