The Shawshank Redemption
Milton Keynes Theatre 16th November - 21st November 2015
The Shawshank Redemption started its life as a short novel by Stephen King, became an Oscar nominated film and now a play adapted by Owen O'Neil and Dave Johns.
In 1947 Portland, Maine banker Andy Dufresne (Ian Kelsy) is convicted of brutally murdering his wife and her lover and is sentenced to two consecutive life sentences to be served at the notorious Shawshank State Penitentiary.
Andy soon realises that no one can survive alone and strikes up an unlikely friendship with the prison "fixer", Ellis Red Redding (Patrick Robinson) who is also serving a life sentence for murder.
Andy asks for nothing more than a rock hammer for his "hobby" and later a large picture of Rita Hayworth - items that seemed to help him cope with his brutal attacks from the "Bull Queer" gang called the "Sisters" and their leader Bogs (Kevin Mathurin).
One day Andy overhears the brutal captain of the guards, Hadley (Joe Reisig) complaining about being taxed on an inheritance and offers to help him legally shelter the money. Warden Stammers (Owen O'Neil) hears of Andy's talents and reassigns him to the prison library to assist elderly inmate "Brooksie".
This new job is a front for Andy to help all of the prison staff with their financial matters, however, for Warden Stammers the help is a little more. Stammer's is laundering money that is being illegally gained from prison labour for public work, all under an alias.
A new inmate arrives at Shawshank and Andy takes him under his wing, helping him with gaining some qualifications. Andy hears that the new inmate has information that would clear his name and make him a free man, but Warden Stammers has other ideas and kills the youngster to keep Andy Dufresne as his "financial advisor."
Dufresne secretly working hard over so many years - chipping away with the little rock hammer...a roll call reveals that Andy is not in his cell.
Stammers rips down the picture of Rita Hayworth to find a hole, just large enough for a man to wriggle down through the sewage pipework. Andy Defresne crawls the length of five football pitches in excrement to freedom, taking with him the ledger containing the details of the money laundering...
After serving forty years Red finally gets parole and as the two had discussed, heads to a beach in Mexico, where he is reunited with his friend, Andy Dufresne.
This is truly an amazing production.
Ian Kelsey and Patrick Robinson were outstanding in their roles - they deserved their standing ovation, as did all of the cast. The audience were captivated by the action on the stage.
The Shawshank Redemption is a cracking good story and it is not lost at all in this adaptation. The set and lighting produces just the right dank, grimy and chilling backdrop for the cruel drama to unfold.
This is unmissable!
Lily B X
