REVIEW: The Shawshank Redemption
An uplifting and heart-warming tale set in a tough prison environment with poignant moments and plenty of surprises
By Paul Bromley, volunteer theatre reviewer
This is a production that grips you from the start and doesn’t let go until the very end.
The curtain rises to the sound of clanking and a dimly-lit, grey metal prison interior as Ellis 'Red' Redding (excellently played by Ben Onwukwe) acts as the narrator to guide us through events at the maximum security Shawshank penitentiary, known as The Shank.
The Shank, he tells us, is “overcrowded, antiquated and rat-infested”. The lighting and sound (from directors Chris Davey and Andy Graham) brilliantly portray that sense of confinement.
Red tells us that “nobody could get a handle on Andy Dufresne” who is in prison for allegedly murdering his wife and her lover. Dufresne is played by Joe McFadden who is familiar to TV viewers from Heartbeat, Holby City and Strictly Come Dancing.
Dufresne doesn’t fit in and suffers the mocking laughter of and abuse by other hardened prisoners – but he does strike up a friendship with Red who is the prison fixer obtaining items for other inmates.
It is the relationship between Red and Dufresne that holds the whole play together and full credit to Ben Onwukwe and Joe McFadden for maintaining the dynamic and propelling the story forward throughout the 2 ¼ hours (including an interval) which covers a span of 20 years.
Bill Ward (with TV credits including Coronation Street and Emmerdale) has a fine time as the corrupt prison warden Stammas flipping between boiling anger towards inmates, particularly Dufresne, and subtle manipulation for his money-making scheme.
The most poignant moment of the play comes with the story of prison librarian Brooksie (Kenneth Jay) who has become so institutionalised that he doesn’t want to leave, even when granted parole, for fear of coping on the outside.
The play has a key theme of hope amid the desperation and injustice. It is ultimately uplifting and heart-warming.
The 1994 film of Stephen King’s novella, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, has become a firm fan favourite despite an initial poor reception. This production at the Devonshire Park Theatre with its rewritten adaptation for the stage also looks likely to be an audience winner.
It is a powerful prison drama with plenty of plot twists.
:: The Shawshank Redemption runs at the Devonshire Park Theatre until Saturday 7 March. Tickets available here
:: Paul Bromley is a qualified journalist and broadcaster who worked for 40 years for regional newspapers, the Press Association and Sky News. He now works in community rail. He is a volunteer writer with Eastbourne Reporter
