All six versions of the play were written by
William Goldman (who also wrote
the 1990 film's screenplay), while Will Frears directed the U.S. versions and
Robert Gliński directed the 2017 Polish adaptation.[1][2][3]
A new version of the production officially opened at the
Broadhurst Theatre on October 22, 2015 and closed on February 16, 2016.[7] This version starred
Bruce Willis as Sheldon,
Laurie Metcalf as Wilkes, and Leon Addison Brown as Buster.[8] The show ran for 102 performances, grossing $12,518,415 in ticket sales.[9][10][11]
Kwadrat Theatre (2017)
The play was re-adapted in the Polish language, starring Ewa Wencel as Wilkes,
Piotr Polk as Sheldon, and Marcin Pietowski as Buster, and premiered at the
Kwadrat Theatre in
Warsaw on January 9, 2017.[3]
Kuopio City Theatre (2019)
Misery was adapted under the name Piina for three Finnish productions.[12][13][14] The first adaptation was performed in September 2019 by Kuopio City Theatre in
Kuopio.[15][16] It starred
Seppo Pääkkönen as Sheldon, Henna Haverinen as Wilkes, and Ari-Kyösti Seppo as Buster, and was directed by Olli-Matti Oinonen.[13]
A third adaptation was performed in November 2022 by
Pori Theatre in
Pori.[19] It starred Vesa Haltsonen as Sheldon, Mirva Tolppanen as Wilkes, and Hannu Müller as Buster, and was directed by Tuomo Aitta [
fi].[14]
Reception
For Metcalf's performance as Wilkes, she was nominated for a
Tony Award for Best Actress in a Play.[20] Willis' performance was generally panned by critics, who called it "vacant" and "inert".[21][22] Some new sources have criticized Willis for using an ear piece on the play.[23]