Shawshank Redemption – Bord Gáis Energy Theatre – Review
by Cormac Fitzgerald

Dates: 21 – 25 April 2026

You probably know the story by now: Andy Dufresne is imprisoned for murdering his wife and her lover. He swears he is innocent, but no one believes him. He suffers greatly at the hands of corrupt prison officials and fellow inmates, but through ingenuity, pluck, kindness and an indomitable spirit, he wins respect and friendship. He believes wholeheartedly in the power of hope. But will it be enough to save him?

This is, of course, the plot to The Shawshank Redemption, the immensely popular 1994 movie starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, based on the 1982 Stephen King novella, Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption. It is also the plot of the stage adaptation currently showing at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, produced by commercial theatre firm Bill Kenwright Ltd.

So, why bother turning one of the most well-known movies in the world into a play? Well, that’s just it. The Shawshank is a truly beloved piece of cinema. Any production is sure to attract legions of fans and will need to satisfy them and live up to the movie’s legacy. This production does what it sets out to do by never straying too far from the source material.

The action all takes place within the Shawshank State Penitentiary in New England over the course of about 20 years, between the 1940s and 1960s. The imposing prison is brought convincingly to life by Gary McCann’s set and Chris Davey’s lighting, with seamless transitions through rooms in the prison and some great musical interludes. Well, almost seamless. About halfway through the first act, the play had to be suspended temporarily when a lighting fixture came loose, narrowly missing hitting Joe McFadden, playing Andy Dufresne. A quick rejig behind the curtain and the show went on. The sound was also a bit of an issue, uneven and muted in places.

The action is narrated by Ellis ‘Red’ Redding, Andy’s fellow inmate and later close friend. Red’s role is the beating heart of the play, and he is played brilliantly by Ben Onwukwe. Funny, wry, and able to veer between moments of pathos and knowing winks at the audience, he is the star of the show. McFadden’s Dufresne is a lot more doe-eyed than Tim Robbins plays the character in the movie, but ultimately, he does a good job at capturing that fierce determination and spirit. The villainous Warden Stammas is played with convincing menace by Bill Ward.

The rest of the cast make up the ensemble of prison guards and other inmates. They all do a good job at keeping the action moving and being funny, menacing, and pitiful as the script requires, even if some of the American accents from the mostly British cast are absolutely atrocious.

Then there is the story itself. The central message of the indomitable power of hope and brotherhood in the face of systematic oppression remains as strong as ever. But King’s novella was published over 40 years ago, and its depiction of homosexuality is very much of its time. It is jarring to watch cheap innuendos stand alongside violent depictions of gang rape and sexual assault, with no effort by the text to give these issues any real consideration. This sense of being out of time also extends to the treatment of women in the play. It seems like every inmate in the Shawshank is there for having brutally murdered their wife and/or family. Again, the play doesn’t attempt to address this in any meaningful way, except to offer a kind of exoneration through time to the perpetrators. There are no female characters in the play, and the female voice is glaringly absent, especially when viewed in today’s context.

With that said, this is the story that most of the audience know and love and have come to see. The second act boils down to the battle between Andy and the Warden, alongside the power of fellowship and hope. It contains the best performances and writing. The end, as always, is an emotional gut punch and very satisfying to watch, with some beautiful stage design in the closing moments. It’s the Shawshank Redemption, folks. If you know it and love it, you will have a great night out. Just don’t expect anything contemporary.