THE iconic scenes of The Shawshank Redemption make it a firm favourite of many movie fans, so it was no surprise to see a packed Lichfield Garrick on opening night of a new production’s run in the city.
Friendship, fear, hope and hopelessness all resonate throughout the story of Andy Dufrense (played by Joe McFadden) and his time behind the grim walls of an American prison.
His connection with fellow inmate Ellis ‘Red’ Redding (Ben Onwukwe) is at the heart of the tale, with many a side tale interwoven as the relationship and internal battle with Shawshank’s chief Warden Stammas (Bill Ward) and the reflections on the impact of freedom for the likes of elderly librarian Brooksie (Kenneth Jay) offering depth to the story.
Fans of the film will notice some minor changes to the narrative as the stage adaptation seeks to find a way through the various different stories playing out alongside each other.
However, at times it felt a little too fast and dismissive, with the disappearance of predatory inmate Bogs (Sean Kingsley) and the impact of this on his sidekick Rooster (Ashley D Gale) feeling too swift, while the downfall of Stammas also lost the impact it had in the movie.
There are other subtle alterations as the story plays out, including a slight shift in the characterisation of Dufresne and Red, but this doesn’t take away from the overall success of the show.
Ben Onwukwe’s performance as Red was a highlight of the show, narrating the complex tale well, while Bill Ward’s Stammas perfectly showed the impact of power in the wrong hands. Joe McFadden’s Andy Dufresne did not quite convey the depth of Tim Robbins’ iconic version of the character, but still allowed the audience to recognise the internal struggles and battle to retain hope if nothing else during his time in the ‘Shank.
The set is an effective use of the Garrick stage, transforming the venue into the cold, miserable and grim prison, while the cast bring to life the variety of emotions this classic story provides with ease.
Packing a complex series of interwoven stories to life in a theatre show is never going to be easy – particularly when the movie has become such a well-known cinematic production – but the sense of theatre being an occasion rather than merely just a night of entertainment was at the heart of this production.
As a result, a satisfied Garrick audience left reflecting on the need to “get busy living or get busy dying”.
The show runs until Saturday (18th October). For ticket details visit the Lichfield Garrick website or call the box office on 01543 412121.
