A popular Stephen King thriller is coming to life onstage thanks to the Arts Club Theatre Company.
Misery is on tour from Jan. 5 to Feb. 8, stopping at the Anvil Centre Theatre in New Westminster for a show this Saturday, Jan. 7 at 7:30 p.m.
The stage adaptation of the bestselling novel is by Academy Award Winner William Goldman, who wrote the 1990 screen version that starred Kathy Bates and James Caan.
The Arts Club’s staging stars Lucia Frangione as Annie Wilkes, the “number 1 fan” of romance novelist Paul Sheldon, played by Andrew McNee. Annie rescues Paul from a car crash but, as she nurses him back to health, he soon realizes he’s not her guest, but her captive. Angry about the fact that he has killed off her favourite character, Annie forces Paul to resurrect Misery in a new book – and Paul is soon writing for his freedom and his life.
“Misery is a show we’ve all been looking forward to for some time,” said Bill Millerd, artistic managing director, in a press release. “Staging a thriller by the master of the genre is a rare opportunity, and we’re excited to bring something quite different with this show. Director Rachel Ditor has given our longtime properties master Michael Gall and his team the chance to really show off their talent for special effects.”
Ditor says the casting of Frangione and Sheldon adds to the story’s appeal.
“In them we have people to root for and identify with in a way that makes the most of experiencing this story life,” she said.
The show also stars Munish Sharma as Buster.
Anvil Centre is at 777 Columbia St. Showtime is 7:30 p.m. Tickets are available through www.ticketsnw.ca or 604-521-5050.
