Critically acclaimed smash hit THE KITE RUNNER to fly again in the West End at the Playhouse Theatre from 8 June – 29 July!
After 93 standing ovations and wowing 60,000 people at Wyndham’s Theatre, “The Kite Runner” will transfer to the Playhouse Theatre for a strictly limited 8-week season.
After wowing the West End since Christmas, winning rave reviews, receiving standing ovations at every show and captivating an audience of more than 60,000 theatregoers, The Kite Runner finished its Wyndham’s Theatre season earlier this month as planned.
Today producers announced that it will soar again in the West End in a strictly limited 8-week season at the Playhouse Theatre from 8 June – 29 July.
Final casting to be announced.
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international best-selling novel, this haunting and powerful story has been adapted into a stunning new stage production. A haunting tale of friendship which spans cultures and continents, it follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country on the verge of war and two childhood friends are about to be torn apart. It’s a beautiful afternoon in Kabul and the skies are full of the excitement and joy of a kite flying tournament. But neither Hassan or Amir can foresee the terrible incident which will shatter their lives forever…
Producers said:
“We were completely overwhelmed by the response from audiences at Wyndham’s Theatre; sold out houses and a standing ovation at every single show; Londoners took this haunting show to their hearts and we are thrilled to be able to return so soon to the West End for a strictly limited summer season.”
The Kite Runner, published in 2003, was Khaled Hosseini’s first novel. It became an instant bestseller across the globe and has since been published in 70 countries, selling 31.5 million copies in 60 languages.The book tells the story of Amir, a young boy from the Wazir Akbar Khan district of Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan, his father’s young Hazara servant. The tale is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet invasion, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.
The Kite Runner is adapted by Matthew Spangler and directed by Giles Croft. It is produced in the West End by Martin Dodd for UK Productions and Derek Nicol & Paul Walden for Flying Entertainment. It was originally produced by Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.
Photography by Robert Workman
from the original West End production at Wyndham’s earlier this year
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The Kite Runner – Wyndham’s Theatre
Opening Night – 10 January 2017
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
“a deeply poignant tale of family and friends separated by creed, war and ignorance”
The Kite Runner first appeared as a novel in 2003, the first work of author Khaled Hosseini. It soon became an instant bestseller across the globe and has since been published in 70 countries, selling 31.5 million copies in 60 languages.
The book was soon made into a film in 2007 but a theatrical script had already been produced before the film was released. It didn’t appear on stage until 2009 when it was produced in San Francisco by The San Jose Repertory, and won five San Francisco Bay Area Theatre Critics’ Circle Awards. In 2013 Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman & Playhouse secured the rights to stage the European premiere of The Kite Runner. The subsequent production toured the UK and received positive reviews from the public and critics.
Original director Giles Croft stays with the production for this transfer to the West End.
I was probably one of the few people in the audience to have neither seen the film nor read the book, so I had no preconceived ideas about what to expect. What appears an incredibly simple, but beautifully effective set design (Barney George) takes us to 1970s Kabul. The sound of the tabla resonating as we meet Amir (Ben Turner) and his closest friend, Hassan (Andrei Costin), the Hazara servant of his father.
The play is told through Amir’s eyes. From his childhood and the carefree afternoons of kite flying tournaments with Hassan, to the tragic events where it all started to go wrong. With a nation split and little alternative other than to flee, the play has eerie overtones of situations around the world we are still experiencing today. This is a deeply poignant tale of family and friends separated by creed, war and ignorance.
The Kite Runner is one of those rare plays that can take you through almost every emotion; anger, sadness, joy and at times utter helplessness at the plight of the Afghans. There are moments of light relief, and some great comedy lines – many from Amir’s father, Baba (Emilio Doorgasingh), whose justification of why drinking Scotch isn’t a sin, you just can’t argue with!
Some of the more disturbing scenes from the book are portrayed out of sight, but are no less harrowing to watch. Outstanding performance in these scenes goes to Andrei Costin as Hassan.
By the end of the first act, I’d envisaged this would be a five star show (unless it took an enormous down turn in act two). I wasn’t disappointed, the second act was if anything more engaging than the first. The spiral of emotion there again yet emphasising the power of the human spirit never giving up hope.
Many of the reviews I’ve read have compared this production to the book and the film which is a bit of a disservice to the play. It is different, it may not be as you remember the novel to be, but please give it a go. This is a brilliant piece of work, outstandingly acted by a talented cast.
The first ‘must see’ of 2017.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Kite Runner is at Wyndham’s Theatre until March 11th
