"Misery" Astounds at The Blakehay

MISERY

THE BLAKEHAY

WESTON-SUPER-MARE

28th October 2009 - 30th October 2009

7.30pm  £7.50 per ticket

Considering it’s a horror novel, it’s quite astounding how many people know about “Misery”. This is probably due to the excellent cinema version coupled with the long lasting mental impact of what became knows as that scene. I’m sure I wasn’t alone in cringing back then, and I was looking forward to seeing how it would all be treated on stage with a limited budget.

First of all, just in case there are any of you who don’t know what “Misery” is, I should elaborate a little. It concerns writer Paul Sheldon, who has made his literary name with a madly successful series of historical romances featuring the character Misery Chastain. After finishing his first non Misery book he crashes his car in a snowstorm and is rescued by ex nurse and registered psychopath Annie Wilkes. Alone with Annie with two shattered legs, Paul is informed she is his “biggest fan”, and that’s just a start to his troubles. To say any more would give away too much, but suffice to say Annie is not the most caring nurse Paul could wish for.

The Blakehay Actors Company should not be confused with any other local “AmDram” company, as they have a large amount of professional training and work between them, acting as a welcome bridge between amateur and professional performing.  For “Misery” they use just two performers, as in the Stephen King novel it is based on. The sets are pretty immobile throughout, focussing mainly on Paul’s sick bed on one side of the stage, and Annie’s kitchen on the other. Whilst Annie’s scenes are always with Paul, we get to see him do a fair bit of soliloquising as he tries to cope with the agony of his condition and the insanity of his situation. Full kudos must go to Peter Nicholls, who takes the character from a confident, successful man, through to a tortured prisoner, driven by survival. He manages to convey some real agony, bringing a generous believability to Paul’s pain, both mental and physical. The other side of the coin is Carole Penhorwood as Annie. Whilst Paul’s character is English ( a shift from the source material), Annie is a true backwoods American gal. Carole handles the accent very well, but is prone to slipping into the local accent as the character gets angry. It’s a small niggle, as she actually brings some true insanity to Annie, staring like a true lunatic at the audience so that you try to avoid eye contact in case she comes after you! Her thick, heavy boots are a nice touch, letting her clump around like a giant at the top of the beanstalk, and she has real presence on stage. Her crowning achievement is a very real interpretation of a woman who is, quite simply, insane. There are some marvellous vocal and physical tics that has the audience not knowing what she’s going to do next, putting them in exactly the same position as Paul Sheldon.

Although only a two person play, it’s not all about the performances. Special mention must go to the lighting and sound, which are both used to great effect, as is a projection screen at the back of the stage, which at one point shows Paul as he tries to explore the house in Annie’s absence, utilising a very effective close up camera to focus on his frustration and determination.

I can honestly say that if I had seen this exact production in the big city I would not have been disappointed. “Misery” is a production that would have impressed at the Old Vic in Bristol, let alone a smaller local theatre. Let me assure that misery if the last thing you will feel if you are lucky enough to catch this production, as these dramatics are anything but amateur.