Adapting Misery: From Screen To Stage

Introduction

Stephen King’s Misery has captivated audiences for decades, first as a best-selling novel, then as the Academy Award-winning film. But in the hands of screenwriter and playwright William Goldman, the story found a new, electrifying home, the stage. Nearly thirty years after penning the screenplay, Goldman revisited the famous author’s harrowing tale to create a theatrical adaptation that brings audiences terrifyingly close to Annie Wilkes and Paul Sheldon’s battle of wills.

The Playwright

William Goldman was no stranger to adaptation. His career spanned bestselling novels, iconic screenplays, and award-winning plays. He won Academy Awards for Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and All the President’s Men. He also famously adapted his own novel, The Princess Bride, into the beloved film. When he first wrote the screenplay for Misery in 1990, Goldman leaned into cinematic suspense, crafting a thriller that relied on Hitchcock-inspired storytelling. Decades later, returning to the material for the stage, Goldman reshaped Misery once again. This time, he distilled the story into a raw, dialogue-driven chamber piece. His unique position as both screenwriter and playwright allowed him to explore how the same story transforms when filtered through different media, each with its own strengths and limitations.

From Page to Play

Adapting a story like Misery for the stage is no small task. Novels let us dive into characters’ inner worlds, while films rely on cinematic tricks like close-ups, editing, and music to heighten suspense. Theatre, however, requires something different. The audience expects to see tension; the story must unfold in real time in a single space, powered only by dialogue, physical performance, and the energy between actors and audience. For Goldman, Misery’s isolated setting and claustrophobic character dynamic made it a natural fit. Stripped of camera cuts and special effects, the play distills the horror into its purest form. Two people, one room, and a psychological showdown you can feel in your bones. Goldman always believed Misery had the DNA of a stage play. Its focus on two characters and one claustrophobic setting seemed written for an intimate theatre space. Goldman’s return to Misery decades after the film gave him a fresh perspective. What once felt like pure psychological horror on screen transformed into a stark, intimate battle between artist and audience in the theatre. 

On stage, Misery becomes more than a thriller. The show is an edge-of-your-seat horror experience that unfolds just feet away from you. With no screen to hide behind, the tension is immediate, raw, and unforgettable. Whether you’re a longtime Stephen King fan or discovering this story for the first time, William Goldman’s stage adaptation is a rare chance to see Misery in its most gripping and intimate form: live.