Last night I went to see the Shawshank Redemption, the 1994 feature film that’s been regularly voted Britain’s favourite ever movie, starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman and was nominated for seven Academy Awards. It was interesting to see how it was adapted from the big screen to the big stage. I don’t remember the film much but I loved the stage play.
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Despite protests of his innocence, Andy Dufresne (Joe Absolom) is handed a double life sentence for the brutal murder of his wife and her lover. Incarcerated at the notorious Shawshank facility, he learns that no one can survive alone. Andy strikes up an unlikely friendship with the prison fixer Red ((Ben Onwukwe), and things take a slight turn for the better. However, when Warden Stammas decides to bully Andy into subservience and exploit his talents for accountancy, a desperate plan is quietly hatched. This fast paced story will have you sucked in right from the start. I loved the stage set and all the actors were just superb. It’s a very adult themed show so it’s not really suitable for children, it has a recommended age guidance of 12+ years which is needed. The strong adult scenes were quite emotional but done very tastefully. I found myself close to tears several times but full of joy throughout too. It’s a very emotional story to get lost in and get lost in it, I did.
The drama is broken up with flashes of humour which helps to relax the mood in between the serious scenes. Without those light hearted moments, I would have been a blubbering mess.
The Shawshank Redemption is Live at The Alexandra, Birmingham from Monday 7 Nov – Saturday 12 Nov 2022 and there are tickets still available if you’d like to go and see it for yourself. If you enjoyed the movie, you’ll love the show. It’s fantastic to see live.
Disclosure: I attended the press night. All opinions expressed are 100% my own.
