The Gaiety theatre Dublin production of The Shawshank Redemption is to receive its London premiere at the Wyndham’s theatre on 13 September (previews from 4 September).
Based on the 1982 Stephen King novella, The Shawshank Redemption tells the story of Andy Dufresne, who is sentenced to life in Shawshank Prison after being convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Stripped of his freedom, Andy is forced to endure a spirit-crushing routine, but with his quiet strength and inner courage there is one thing Andy never loses: hope.
The story was adapted into a film in 1994, starring Tim Robbins and Morgan Freeman, which was nominated for seven Oscars.
Owen O’Neill and Dave Johns’s new stage adaptation stars American actors Reg E Cathey and Kevin Anderson. Cathey is known for his role in hit US television drama The Wire and has appeared on Broadway in The Green Bird. Anderson is a member of Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre Company and has Broadway credits including Death Of A Salesman, which earned him a Tony Award nomination, Come Back Little Sheba and Brooklyn, while in London he starred in the premiere production of Sunset Boulevard.
Currently playing at the Wyndham’s theatre is the Donmar Warehouse production of Hamlet, which is booking to 22 August. The Shawshank Redemption is booking to 14 February 2010.
CB