First a Stephen King novella, then a 1994 film featuring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, now an acclaimed stage show, The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of an unlikely friendship that develops between two very different men in the claustrophobic and exploitative Shawshank State Prison. Actor Ben Onwukwe, who plays the Morgan Freeman role of inmate Ellis ‘Red’ Redding in the currently touring stage version, talks to What’s On about the production...

Based on a novella written by Stephen King, the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption starred Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman as two men sentenced to spend the rest of their lives in jail.

Andy Dufresne (Robbins), who has been found guilty of the double murder of his wife and her lover, strikes up an unlikely friendship with prison fixer Ellis ‘Red’ Redding (Freeman) at the Shawshank State Prison - but Andy is keeping back one crucial secret.

That secret is a twist like no other, and Ben Onwukwe, who plays ‘Red’ in Bill Kenwright Ltd’s touring stage version of the story, is convinced most audience members are waiting for it.

“I sense that most people know what’s coming,” says Ben, whose co-stars in the show are Joe McFadden (as Andy) and Bill Ward (as the bullying Warden Stammers). “I would imagine that 85 to 90 percent of people sitting in the stalls have seen the movie; it’s one of those films that everyone has seen.

“We know the history of the film; that it came out in 1994 and was a bit of a turkey in cinema parlance. It didn’t really sell well and got some moderate reviews. It got nominated in various areas, but it wasn’t a box-office smash.

“But because we were in the Blockbuster video renting era, where people traded video cassette film and you went down there to change your video every couple of days, the word on the street was that this was the one worth watching. So people wore it out, the sales went through the roof, and it got re-evaluated as a great iconic film.

“I think everyone who comes to the show in the older generation would have worn out their videos, and you can’t forget that ending. It’s like Hamlet. I’ve seen Hamlet about 30 times in my life, and you can’t forget that it’s going to end in his death. You think ‘Is there hope for Hamlet? He’s such a nice man, so let him survive!’ But he doesn’t. So we know there’s a crazy twist at the end.”

Ben says there are good reasons why the film became a classic: “What makes it so compelling is the fact that you are plunged into this nightmare world of prisoners who are lifers, and probably the most deranged, appalling people that you could imagine walking the earth. But gradually, what you begin to realise is that, behind that veneer, there is humanity, and what emerges from that swamp is two individuals that you actually root for.

“It’s very rare when you see a prison drama where you root for those guys - unless it’s a comedy like Ronnie Barker in Porridge! But these two incredible characters are dripping with humanity and kindness and empathy and all the things that you want from a human being, so you want their story to end happily.
“It’s a long, rocky road, but it’s worth going through that journey for the ending. That’s why I love it, and I think people who see the show come away with that feeling.”

This tour is Ben’s third time playing Red, a role he first took in 2019. He admits that there was initially some trepidation at the thought of stepping into a character so brilliantly defined in the film by Morgan Freeman.

“All of us actors navigate something like that when you are inhabiting a role that’s associated with one individual. I’m not seeing myself as another James Bond, but there’s that same thing with Bond; that you are inheriting the mantle of someone so iconic. You think ‘Can I measure up?’ But, as all actors do, you put that thought to one side and make the part your own.

“You try your best to forget that people are there to see Sean Connery or whoever - in this case, Morgan. Because actually the audience have come to see that character and the way you deliver that character, and hopefully they will bond with and identify with the way you play him. You realise there ain’t only one person who can play James Bond, and there ain’t only one person who can play Red.”

The plot covers a lengthy time period, and Ben says the stage show cleverly uses a soundtrack to move the clock forwards.

“The story has a long time journey of 30 years, and what we use to reference that passing of time is the music. So people who are music lovers will enjoy the fact that the music ranges from tracks that were commonplace and popular in the 1950s right up to the late 70s, and there’s something about that which is quite heartwarming and metaphoric.

“So, for example, you hear Bing Crosby’s White Christmas in a wintry yard scene, and that instantly transports you to that world. And then the second half opens with The Beatles singing Twist And Shout, which was 1964, when they were the biggest sensation on the planet, conquering America, and these inmates are dancing to these little white kids from Liverpool, England. The play is measured out with tracks like that - a bit like a DJ time-travelling with music.”

Ben believes audience members, whether or not they are familiar with The Shawshank Redemption plot, will enjoy seeing the drama unfold on stage.

“It’s a really enjoyable, engaging experience in the cinema, but even more so in the theatre, because it’s live actors presenting you with a compelling story, and it has a happy ending. It’s one of the most redemptive stories - the clue is in the title!”

And Ben is keen to share that story with audiences at Lichfield Garrick.

“I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never been there before. I’m a bit of a culture vulture, so I will definitely be visiting the cathedral and all the art enclaves and seeing the history.”

The Shawshank Redemption shows at Lichfield Garrick Theatre from Monday 13 to Saturday 18 October. The production returns to the Midlands next year, when it shows at Birmingham theatre The Alexandra from Tuesday 26 to Saturday 30 May.

By Diane Parkes