The Shawshank Redemption At Lighthouse Poole Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Mel S-W
Bill Kenwright Ltd have brought the Shawshank Redemption to Lighthouse Poole for a five day run. This production, based on the novella “Rita Hayworth” and “Shawshank Redemption” by Stephen King. This tour started in September 2025 and will run until June 2026 and brings with it a star studded cast.
As we entered the theatre, we were serenaded by a plethora of 1940 and 50s music and then a giant clatter of chains signalled the time for the curtain to rise and we were greeted with three naked prisoners under spotlights making a haunting entrance. The set is fantastic, with a huge prison block dominating the stage and an upper gallery for the armed guard. The show used some clever set changes, bringing down different sets to change the stage into the library or the Wardens office. These set changes were seamless.
The show follows Andy Dufresne (Joe McFadden) who, despite protesting his innocence, is handed a double life sentence for the brutal murders of his wife and her lover. Andy is incarcerated in the notorious Shawshank facility; he quickly learns that no one can survive alone. The show is dotted with on stage fight scenes showing the battle to understand the prison etiquette and equilibrium. The first half featured some hard scenes for Joe McFadden and he commanded the stage throughout, navigating the darker moments of the story with remarkable restraint and emotion.
Andy strikes up an unlikely friendship with the prison fixer Red, and things start to 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.
So, who is in the cast? Joe McFadden (PC Joe Mason in Heartbeat, Raf in Holby City) stars as Andy Dufresne who was great in the role and really got into character, dealing with being beaten up and raced. Ben Onwukwe (who boasts a 30 year stage career including leading roles with the RSC and the Royal Court, and eleven years on TV as Recall McKenzie in London’s Burning) as Ellis ‘Red’ Redding.
Red, who befriends Andy, but also acts as a very useful narrator throughout the show, explaining to the audience the backstory and helping you follow the story as we went along. He stole the show in my eyes and really brought the show together. The show also starred Bill Ward (Charlie Stubbs in Coronation Street and James Barton in Emmerdale but most recently has been baring all as Gerald in the UK tour of The Full Monty) as the strict Warden Stammas. Having seen Bill Ward recently in another play, I was excited to see another performance with him in. He didn’t disappoint as the warden, commanding respect on the stage and from the fellow actors. But the unsung hero of the night was Kenneth Jay who stole our hearts playing the librarian Brooksie, portraying the stark reality of what being released can have.
This show was simply amazing and I would highly recommend it. There are some adult themes so I can see why it has a 12+ age recommendation, but the scenes were acted so well. The book is based on Stephen King’s short novels rather than the films’ scripts so it feels a little different to the film, but this did not detract from any enjoyment. Some phenomenal acting, a great story and thoroughly enjoyed it. There were moments of humour and also times of high emotion, a must see show!
Rating: 5/5
Tickets started from £22.50. There are six further performances at Lighthouse with tickets selling fast. You buy tickets here or by calling the Box Office on 01202 280000.
The full address is Lighthouse, Arts and Entertainment, 21 Kingland Road, Poole, Dorset, BH15 1UG