The Shawshank Redemption

Adapted for the stage from Stephen King's original novella, it is clear that The Shawshank Redemption is keen to escape the shadow of its ubiquitous cinema version; unfortunately, it never quite succeeds. While there are enough significant divergences to be noticeable, the play seems to be inhabiting a ready-made aesthetic that is all too familiar.

A tale of incarcerated innocence and the effect it has upon everyone else in the eponymous 'Shank', the play is obviously a work of passion, but relishes the clichés of prison fiction a little too much. To what extent this is the fault of the production, or King's infamously take-it-or-leave-it writing, depends on your view of the megaselling author.

Kyle Secor is likable but unmemorable as Andy Dufresne, the banker who maintains he was wrongly imprisoned; meanwhile, Omid Djalili brings both sly humour and quiet sadness to the role of Red, but unfortunately Djalili's talent for accents does not extend as far as America. The rest of the performances share similar virtues and faults – they gel together well, creating a convincing prison eco-system, but the dialogue too often becomes maudlin or corny. As for Red's frequent addresses to the audience, such exposition could not be more heavy-handed if it tried.

Still, The Shawshank Redemption is a minor triumph of staging, with a multi-purpose set of revolving scenery which strikes just the right balance between stark minimalism and telling detail. Sadly, this cannot save a play which bounces aimlessly between cartoonish grimness and mawkish sentimentality.