The idea to create a stage version of The Rear Window first came about many years ago. There’s no denying Hitchcock was the ultimate master of suspense for his time – many of the thriller tropes we now know so well were invented by him, and he essentially created and perfected a genre. However, the lingering influence of the Hayes Code, and the overall more conservative attitudes of the time made some aspects of his characters feel a little lacking.
The beautiful Grace Kelly felt more like a set piece than a fully fleshed-out character, and as brilliant as Jimmy Stewart was, the idea that he should be instantly trusted when he tells such a wild story always seemed a little off to me. I thought about what would happen if someone told me the same – I’d be thinking about how tired they were, the drugs they’d been taking, about the way your mind wanders when you’re bored and alone too long.
I found the source for the film, a short story called “It Had To Be Murder” by Cornell Woolrich, which had a male assistant named Charlie rather than a female love interest. While the overall concept of the story was excellent, it was clear why Hitchcock made major changes, and I too used it as inspiration rather than something to adapt.
When we first mounted this show back in 2019, a major inspiration was the ever-rising popularity of social media, and how watching intimate moments of people’s lives in bed on our phones can make us feel as though we know them. I’ve heard people discuss celebrities like they were real friends because of how closely they “follow” them and feel like they are getting an authentic experience. But just like Jeff sees people through only “one window, one lens”, we’re having a very crafted and curated look at these lives, even if they’re being made in a way to try and make viewers think they are authentic.
Since then, we’ve lived through the COVID-19 pandemic, dealt with sickness and isolation, boredom, and being forced to stay in our homes. The effects of the lockdown are still very evident, and I suspect they will continue to be for some time, and that too has now influenced the way we approached the story, and explored the way isolation can lead to depression, anxiety, irritability, and substance abuse.
Finally, I hope you’ll allow yourself to laugh at the funny moments, and I think there’s many. Thank you for joining us, and enjoy the show.
– Emily Dix, Director, Writer, Producer
Bygone Theatre 