The Kite Runner Archives - North West End UK

8May

By Jan MellorNo Comments

North West

The Kite Runner – The Lowry

I was not aware of the sport that is part of everyday life for young Afghan people – the joy and obsession of kite flying across the city of Kabul. This hobby is our equivalent to conker fights in the playground but enjoyed with far more passion and pleasure. This hobby can be enjoyed by the rich and poor alike and has been a tradition in Afghanistan for hundreds of years. Kite flying originated in China 3,000 years ago and although a sport of young boys is a hobby that continues throughout adulthood with equal determination, competitiveness and joy. The play “The Kite Runner” is the story of two young boys - Amir a Pashtun who in the 1970’s lived in a large house with his strict father and their servant - a Hazara and his son Hassan. The Pashtun people were Afghanistan’s largest et...

The Kite Runner – Liverpool Playhouse

Settling into a packed auditorium, there was a palpable expectation. Another world class story has been taken to the stage and I was keen to see if it was going to work. Hanif Khan takes his place at the front of the stage. A hush descends, but the play is yet to start. Filling the space with sound, he plays his tabla drums with gentle tenacity, bringing the Liverpool crowd into another world. This musical intro is something familiar to theatre goers that can go one of two ways, either the performance that follows is over-acted to the point where our presence in this new world is glaringly false or where we are truly transported. I’m glad to say this performance is of the latter. Amongst frequent soundscapes made by performers, this production aptly delivers the essence of Khaled Hosse...

The Kite Runner – Storyhouse Chester

Based on Khaled Hosseini’s bestselling novel, The Kite Runner visits the Storyhouse, Chester as part of its UK tour after receiving international acclaim in both the West End and on Broadway. The story follows one man’s journey spanning cultures and continents to confront his past and find redemption. Adapted by Matthew Spangler and Directed by Giles Croft, we are transported to Afghanistan, who are on the verge on war, on a wonderful afternoon in Kabul during a kite flying tournament. Full of excitement with the skies full of colour, no one can foresee what is about to happen and how it will tear friends and family apart for good. The story, told through the eyes of Amir, portrayed brilliantly by Stuart Vincent, who jumps in and out of the action, both narrating and playing the cha...