The Shawshank Redemption at the Theatre Royal Glasgow Review
The Shawshank Redemption
Theatre Royal, Glasgow
21-26 November 2016
www.atgtickets.com/theatre-royal-glasgow
Reviewed by Dee Ryz
The Shawshank Redemption is based on the Stephen King novel of the same name and follows the incarceration of quiet banker Andy Dufresne (ex-Eastender Paul Nicholls) for the brutal murder of his wife and her lover in the renowned Shawshank prison. While there, Andy meets and befriends infamous prisoner ‘Red’ (Ben Onwukwe), “a man who can get things”. Although he eventually makes friends, Andy’s hardships do not end there – coerced into working as a money launderer for the stern Warden Stammas (Jack Ellis), he also experiences gang violence and blackmail – however, without ruining too much for anyone, the overall story is one of hope.
Last night’s performance of The Shawshank Redemption at Glasgow’s Theatre Royal made for great entertainment, especially to the packed house, however at times I felt the accents waned – they seemed to jump from the West Country to American Deep South in one sentence – and once or twice during the rather emotional scenes, I felt as though it was lacking some conviction. Overall, the cast did a great job in transporting us through the harsh times and decades at Shawshank – through use of different musical styles (from 1940s crooners to the swinging 1960s Beatles) we were able to monitor the passage of time.
The stage was cleverly set out as a large room within the prison, and through the use of partial walls, props and lighting, differentiating and moving between scenes was easy and seamless as the cast appeared to help move items under the guise of darkness and music.
Taking place at the historic Theatre Royal in Glasgow’s Theatreland district, the theatre is easily accessible by subway (Cowcaddens is only a 5 min walk) and bus, or free on street parking nearby is available, along with paid parking in the Cambridge Street car park, 5 mins walk away.
Rating: 3.5/5
Tickets cost from £13.90 to £38.40 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
The Shawshank Redemption is at the Theatre Royal in Glasgow until 26 November 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 871 7647.
Theatre Royal, 282 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 3QA | 0844 871 7647
