What a joy to see great, live theatre after such a gap and difficult time for all the performing arts industry. Misery might be one way to express how it has been – but the determination of our theatres, actors and directors is to be hugely applauded.

Huge applause also for the small but stellar team that presented the opening of Misery last night at Centrepoint. Palmerston North is lucky to have such a strong theatrical re-opening.

Directed by the talented Lara Macgregor, who works as an actor, director and performance coach across New Zealand, the cast of three assured actors keep up the pace of this suspenseful, intriguing, psychological thriller. In 2018 Lara starred in this play at the Court Theatre.

Neil Rea, who plays novelist Paul Sheldon, is well experienced in television and theatre work, with a career spanning 25 years. He is well known as the detective in the very popular Brokenwood Mysteries series, but has also been in Shortland Street, Hercules and many others. He is joined by his real-life partner Alison Bruce, who plays Annie Wilkes. Alison is also a well-known actor with a 40 year career in the industry. She won Best Supporting Actress for her role in The Gulf detective series and recently was in Jane Campion’s Power of the Dog. Such an experienced pair bring a stellar performance. They are joined by Phil Anstis as Buster, a suitably laid back and just inquisitive enough Sheriff.

The atmosphere of this tense work is supplemented by the eery, nerve stretching music and soundscapes (Andy Manning) – plus a dash of Liberace! The set designed by Sean Coyle perfectly conveys the simple, isolated cabin in the woods of rural Colorado. The lighting (Talya Pilcher) supports this, as do excellent costume details (Shiloh Dobie). The leg bandaging is an art in itself.

The play, written by acclaimed US playwright William Goldman, is based on the book by Stephen King. In 2014, King said the Misery book is about addiction and cocaine, as he had a personal struggle with this. The Goldman play is about obsession – of a number one fan – and then the slow revealing of the truth and its repercussions.

The setting provides all the isolation needed for a power play. A well-known author has a road accident in a storm and is rescued by a local who happens to be a nurse. They are trapped in her cabin by the snow storm and then things begin to change. In this production, the slow unravelling never lets up. The tension twists and turns and continues right to the end.

Goldman provides wonderful dialogue – many lines with double meanings and irony. With Rea and Bruce’s assured experience, these are cleverly delivered, in convincing American accents.  We have heard many of these types of expressions before, ordinary household-like expressions. But put in this context they are frightening or actually funny. There is a dark humour in the delivery of them which lifts it from being simply a tense thriller. It has a slight Brokenwood quality to it. The audience do gasp, ooh, ah and nervously laugh their way through it.

This is not a play where you want to give away any of the story – because it is too good. I can only highly recommend it as a great theatrical experience: gripping, tense, stellar and amusing, performed by a great cast.

Welcome back Centrepoint Theatre, may this strong step forward be symbolic of the future. Misery is on at Centrepoint until 2 July. Don’t miss it.

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