David Berry, Bert LaBonté and Rodger Corser have been announced as the lead cast for the upcoming Australian tour of The Shawshank Redemption, which will begin in Sydney in January 2027 before travelling to Melbourne, Perth and Adelaide.
Direct from an UK tour, the stage adaptation of Stephen King’s novella will open at Theatre Royal Sydney from 2 January 2027. It will then move to the Playhouse at Arts Centre Melbourne from 3 February, Perth’s Regal Theatre from 12 March and Her Majesty’s Theatre in Adelaide from 1 April. Worried that your home state hasn’t been announced yet? Fret not! Additional venues are to be confirmed in the future.
David Berry, whose screen credits include Outlander, A Place To Call Home and Home and Away, will play Andy Dufresne, a former banker sentenced to life in Shawshank prison after being wrongly convicted of murdering his wife and her lover. Berry said he was looking forward to returning to theatre and working alongside his fellow cast members:
I’m thrilled to be returning to the stage in such a timeless and deeply human story, alongside two extraordinary actors like Bert and Rodger.
Bert LaBonté, known for stage and television work including The Book of Mormon, Colin From Accounts and Cloudstreet, takes on the role of longtime inmate Red Redding. Red develops a friendship with Andy while serving his sentence and is known among the prison population for his ability to obtain contraband. LaBonté said the opportunity to explore Red, one of the story’s best known characters, was difficult to turn down:
he opportunity to tell this iconic story – and to take on a role as rich and loved as Red was impossible to say no to. I can’t wait to get into the rehearsal room and begin exploring him.
Rodger Corser, whose credits include Doctor Doctor, Rush and Channel 9’s The Floor, the production will mark a return to the stage after 20 years. He will play Shawshank’s Warden, a religious but cruel and deeply hypocritical figure who seeks to make use of Andy’s skills for his own benefit. Corser said the story’s central themes were a major factor in convincing him to return to the stage following two decades of screen work:
After 20 years in film and television, I couldn’t resist the opportunity to return to the stage for a story as powerful as The Shawshank Redemption. Its themes of hope, resilience and friendship resonate just as strongly today as they did when the film was released more than 30 years ago.
Based on King’s novella, The Shawshank Redemption follows Andy as he adjusts to life inside the notorious prison and develops an unlikely friendship with Red. As the Warden attempts to exploit Andy’s talents, Andy quietly begins putting together a plan of his own. The stage production focuses on the story’s themes of hope, friendship and resilience, bringing the events of Shawshank into a live theatre setting.
Ticketing information for all confirmed seasons are available via the production’s official website.
