Doing justice to a storyline that never fails to captivate

Widely recognised as one of the greatest films ever made, more than two decades after it hit the box office the Shawshank Redemption comes to the stage at Windsor’s Theatre Royal.

The show tells the tale of Andy Dufresne, a former banker convicted of the murder of his wife and her lover and given a double life sentence.

Adjusting to life in the notorious Shawshank Penitentiary, Andy, played by Tim Robbins in the 1994 film, quickly learns that his protests of innocence count for little behind the walls and razor wire, and settles into the rhythms of prison life.

Finding a niche for himself, in which he seems happier and more contented than he ever did in the free world, he assembles a close-knit group of friends, including Ellis ‘Red’ Redding – a performance for which Morgan Freeman earned a nomination for Best Actor at the 1994 Academy Awards.

In this production, the lead role of Andy is taken by Paul Nicholls, who is best known and loved for his role as heart throb Joe Wicks in EastEnders, and has since appeared in acclaimed television programmes Grantchester, Death in Paradise and The C Word.

Paul made his West End debut in Long Day's Journey Into Night at the Lyric Theatre before appearing in Festen (Lyric, West End) and Vincent in Brixton (National), both directed by Rufus Norris. He has also appeared in several plays at the Tricycle, Bush, Hampstead and Almeida.

He is joined by Ben Onwukwe who is playing Andy’s best friend Red, the prison’s premier fixer and black marketeer.

Ben boasts a 30-year stage career, including with The RSC.

Presented by Bill Kenwright, the production is directed by award-winning Broadway director David Esbjornson.

Esbjornson’s credits include the Broadway debut and West End production of Driving Miss Daisy, starring Vanessa Redgrave and James Earl Jones, and the 2005 West End premiere of Aaron Sorkin’s A Few Good Men.

The show is based on the novella Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption by Stephen King.