Despite protests of his innocence, Andy Dufresne is handed a double life sentence for the brutal murder of his wife and her lover. Read more …
Incarcerated at the notorious Shawshank facility, he quickly learns that no one can survive alone. Andy strikes up an unlikely friendship with the prison fixer Red, 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…
Overall, this new touring production delivers a good evening of theatre. It’s a retelling of a classic film, that many will know and love. However it does leave a sense that with a little bit of tweaking – and perhaps a few fewer set changes accompanied by jovial music – it could be great.
Without the rawness derived from emotional context, the prison life never feels as if it is unbearable to be in or watch, meaning the power of the ending is lessened.
A classic that should have been left alone.
All of which makes for a powerful treatise on integrity and honesty for a full-blown meditation on the pains of confinement and the power of hope beyond.
King's Theatre, Edinburgh from Monday October 5, 2015, until Saturday October 10, 2015. More info: http://www.edtheatres.com/kings
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