The theater program allows you to choose for each viewer a performance that will be interesting to him. One of the famous works is S. King’s novel Misery. It was adapted for staging on the stage. Reviews for the performance "Misery" will be considered in the article.
Literary basis of the performance
The novel "Misery" by the world-famous American writer S. King first saw the light of day in 1987. The word "misery" in translation means "suffering", and it is this emotional state that the author experienced, as he said, while writing his work.
Readers and critics took the work positively. Reviewers noted that the Misery novel differs from the rest of the writer's writings in avoiding a mystical orientation and was praised for successfully exploring the relationship between celebrities and their fans.
The novel is recognized as one of the best psychological thrillers by Stephen King. The performance "Misery" allows you to look at the work of a famous writer in a special light.
About the performance
The novel Misery has been adapted more than once for staging on the stage. One of these adaptations was the play by S. Moore. According to her, she directed a performance in the Contemporary Theater of Entreprises by director N. Orlovskaya. According to reviews, the performance “Misery” in the Central House of Artists (Central House of Culture of Railway Workers ) became a real event for the theater audience. The premiere took place on December 9, 2015.
Plot
According to reviews, the performance of Misery is characterized by an exciting storyline. This is the story of the relationship between two heroes: the popular writer Paul Sheldon and his passionate admirer Annie Wilkes. Sheldon wrote a series of works about a woman named Misery, in which he talked about her difficult and bitter fate. Books became bestsellers and made Paul famous.
According to the plot of the novel, one day the writer had a car accident and was seriously injured. He was found by the woman Annie, a passionate admirer of his work. Recognizing her idol, she pulled Paul out of the wrecked car and brought straight to her home.
And since Annie worked as a nurse in the past, she decided not to go to the hospital, but to treat him on her own. At first, Paul decided that all the blame for the passionate love of a fan for his idol. However, he soon begins to suspect something was wrong.
By the strange behavior of Annie, the writer understands that in her house he is not a guest, but a prisoner, and his life is in serious danger. The pathological love of the main character to her idol, combined with the crazy idea of making him his hand-written writer, turns a woman into a dangerous maniac. Paul must write a new book or die - such is the demand of his savior.
Actors
"Misery" has developed thanks to the wonderful play of the actors employed in it. There are only two heroes. E. Dobrovolskaya and D. Spivakovsky composed a wonderful duet on stage. It is their subtle psychological duel that keeps the viewer in constant tension. In the performance "Misery", Dobrovolskaya and Spivakovsky occasionally lead the viewer away from the field of a hard psychological thriller into a less difficult genre with elements of tragicomedy.
The performance, according to those who read S. King, is less rigid than the novel. The images of the characters in the production are slightly changed and seem weaker. Although the actors are not to blame for this, it’s difficult to fit all the twists and turns of the novel into a play lasting 2 hours and 20 minutes.
Reviews about the performance of Misery with Dobrovolskaya are mixed. Viewers note that her Annie does not cause horror and disgust, as in the book. She looks more like a nervous unbalanced person than a dangerous psychopath killer.
Sex performed by Spivakovsky looked more hysterical than really frightened and humiliated. Nevertheless, the actors perfectly supported the oppressive state and atmosphere of fear throughout the entire action. It remains even in those rare moments when the characters jerk or portray sarcasm, which causes a smile and nervous laughs in the hall. So, in general, the actors were perfectly able to embody the spirit of the works of S. King on the stage.
Critic reviews
The performance "Misery", according to critics, delighted in a beautifully crafted atmosphere of horror and oppressive tension. The whole entourage is aimed at creating a heavy depressed mood.
Black and gray scenery, poor lighting give the impression of a gloomy basement, from which there is no way out, which causes the viewer a sense of hopelessness and hopelessness. Periodically, the scene is illuminated in such a way that the face of only one of the heroes is visible. Sometimes the light turns off completely, and then the audience has an eerie feeling that Annie is creeping up behind them with his ax in the dark.
Contributes to maintaining this mood and well-chosen music. All this as a whole creates a very difficult, depressing impression, which does not release the viewer for some time even at the end of the performance.
The target audience
Usually fans of theatrical art are people over 45 years old. However, this production will appeal to a younger audience more familiar with King's work. Lovers of the classics, most likely, will not be able to appreciate the special manner in which the performance "Misery" is staged.
Too unusual is this setting against the background of others. Although, according to some viewers, it was after visiting the Misery performance that they wanted to get acquainted with the work of S. King, read his books and watch films made on them.
The performance "Misery", according to reviews, is very emotional, atmospheric and exciting. Actors keep the viewer in suspense for more than two hours. At intermission, the audience is looking forward to continuing. Even those who read S. King’s novel and are familiar with the plot, note the impact on the psyche of the oppressive atmosphere that the creative team of the play managed to create on the stage.
A killer cocktail from an action-packed thriller and psychological drama makes the impression of the performance truly indelible. And the wonderful work of decorators, lighting artists and sound engineers further reinforce the impression of a talented game of great artists.
All viewers in their reviews note among the main advantages of the acting, entertainment, originality and the stunning atmosphere of the performance. Being someone's fan - what does it mean? Is it good or bad? And what can it lead to? And what does it mean to be someone's idol? And what can it result in? What pathological forms does worship sometimes take? And how to protect yourself from them?
The authors of the play tried to find answers to these questions. A brilliant plot of the writer made this study unforgettable.