Some stories just never let go. Stephen King's The Shawshank Redemption — a tale of hope enduring against impossible odds — has moved audiences for over four decades, first as a novella, then as a film nominated for seven Academy Awards. Now it arrives at Glasgow's Theatre Royal this Tuesday, and the stage may be the most powerful way to experience it yet.
Scottish actor Joe McFadden, best known for winning Strictly Come Dancing in 2017 and his long-running roles in Holby City and Heartbeat, takes on the part of Andy Dufresne — the quiet, determined banker wrongly convicted of murder. It's a homecoming of sorts for McFadden, who brings real theatrical pedigree to the role following acclaimed turns in 2:22 A Ghost Story and The Rocky Horror Show.
Joining him is Ben Onwukwe as Ellis "Red" Redding, the prison fixer whose unlikely friendship with Andy forms the heart of the story. Onwukwe brings over 30 years of stage experience, including leading roles with the RSC and the Royal Court. Bill Ward, familiar to millions from Coronation Street and Emmerdale, rounds out the principal cast as the menacing Warden Stammas.
Why it works on stage
Where the 1994 film gave us sweeping cinematography and Morgan Freeman's velvet narration, the stage adaptation — by Owen O'Neill and Dave Johns, directed by David Esbjornson — trades scale for something arguably more affecting: intimacy. The claustrophobia of the prison setting gains real weight when the walls of the theatre close in around you. Every whispered plan, every act of quiet defiance, lands differently when it's happening just metres away.
The production has already earned four stars from both The Herald and The Scotsman on its UK tour, with The Observer calling it "electrifying — it truly is a must-see show."
The details
Where: Theatre Royal Glasgow, 282 Hope Street, Glasgow G2 3QA
When: Tuesday 24 – Saturday 28 March 2026
Times: Evenings at 7:30pm (Tue–Sat); matinees at 2:30pm (Thu & Sat)
Running time: 2 hours 7 minutes including interval
Age guidance: 12+
Tickets: Book at ATG Tickets
Don't miss it
The Shawshank Redemption is, at its core, a story about refusing to give up — on yourself, on your friends, on the belief that something better is waiting. That's a message worth hearing any time, but there's something special about receiving it live, in a room full of strangers who feel it too. Hope Street seems like exactly the right address.
