Reviewed by Jenny Seymour
The Kite Runner has been adapted for the stage by Matthew Spangler, based on the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini.
It was with trepidation that I booked my tickets originally for The Kite Runner. Khaled Hosseini’s book is my all-time favourite novel and I was nervous that the theatrical production may not live up to the huge expectation placed on it by anyone who has read the novel and loves it as much as I do. For anyone who has this same nervousness, do not let this stop you going to see this production. Matthew Spangler, who has adapted The Kite Runner worked closely with Khaled Hosseini in its production and this is clear. It did NOT disappoint. Prepare yourself for an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish…
Personally, I do feel there should be an age restriction attached to the production. I would not take my children to see this as, like the book, the production tackles some harrowing themes. Whilst the production does leave some of the more disturbing details to your imagination and uses the scenery well to soften the direct distress, it does not avoid the tragic events that were told in the book and instead portrays them respectfully without detracting from the raw emotion you feel when watching the story unfold.
As soon as you walk into the auditorium you are met with the enchanting sounds of the Asian drums, the tabla (as you are told in the programme). It provided a beautiful enchanting mood to prepare you for the tale to follow. In fact, the musical production throughout the play was incredible and the live tabla player is on stage throughout.
From the moment the lights went down everyone was engrossed and the production was compelling from start to finish. Amir, the main character acts as the storyteller and is on stage throughout the play. Set in Kabul, Afghanistan, the first scene shows the friendship between Amir (from the well-off Pashtun family) and his Hazara friend and loyal servant, Hassan. It also explained their love for their country Afghanistan, the beautiful house in which they lived with lavish décor and well-tended gardens and their shared love for kite flying and kite running. What was really effective was the use of the Farsi language to transport the audience to Afghanistan and set the scene.
However, it’s at the kite flying tournament that this tale takes a dramatic turn and Amir and Hassan’s friendship is put to the test – will Amir stand up for his loyal friend Hassan, or will he run for his life and his safety? At 12 years’ old Amir makes a decision, which will affect him and his family members for the rest of their lives. Can we blame this young boy? Perhaps not for his reaction to the event itself, but definitely yes for his actions from that moment on?
The scenes where the cast were kite flying were done really well. The use of the kites and the aptly named “schwirrbogen” to create wind and the sound of kites flying around the auditorium was unique. The set included a skateboard ramp which enabled momentum and the backdrop of a huge kite was used so well to mask some of the more harrowing events in this tale: the disturbing actions of Assef after the kite flying tournament and the Taliban’s executions. Despite this muting of the distressing scenes in the book, there was no emotion lost in this production. The whole group of us who went to see The Kite Runner are very chatty women, but we were left speechless momentarily at the end of both acts. With such a thought-provoking production, we couldn’t stop analysing and debating the issues that were addressed all the way home. Thank you for being so true to the novel and for provoking such empathy at a time when people aren’t perhaps as charitable to refugees and immigrants.
There is one scene which actually shows how difficult the decision is for refugees to leave their home and country and embark on such a dangerous journey with the prospect of a safe place to live, which I thought was well done.
There were a few notable performances (Hassan/Sohrab, Baba, Ali and Rahim Khan), but each and every one of the company deserve a mention as it is so well cast.
There were a few things that I didn’t like so much: perhaps the caricature of the Taliban leader and referring to Assef as a sociopath who then becomes the Taliban leader. Unfortunately, in this world, I don’t believe it is just sociopaths that go on to lead such terrorist groups. It seems that in every country at the moment, there are huge swathes of communities who turn to right-wing extremism to counteract the political and ethnic tensions that exist – although this is probably staying true to the book, as Assef’s character was indeed a sociopath and the Taliban regime allowed his terror to reign. Also, Amir’s voice didn’t seem to change from when he was portraying the young boy witnessing these scenes, to when he was an older adult showing remorse for his guilt. You would hope that as the character matures, this would come across a bit more. However, what was portrayed really well was the relationship of Amir and Baba, and how it mellowed with age and time as in the book and you really felt the disappointment of each with the other in the earlier years of their relationship.
Overall, this was a quality production of a heart-breaking tale and moved many of us to give the cast a standing ovation. This is something that everyone should see.
I also wanted to give mention to the programme. It includes an article from musical director, explaining the use of the instruments and how he found his tabla player and learnt to communicate the music, despite him not understanding western notation. It also includes an article from a former foreign correspondent for the Guardian looking at the recent history of Afghanistan and what is really sad is that the country goes from the lavish times at the start of this tragic tale, to the war-torn country that Amir doesn’t recognise when he returns over such a short period of time. You come out of the theatre thankful that we have lived in a time that has not lived through the horrors of war.
Be prepared to be emotionally charged. A must-see production based on this best-selling novel, which will stay with you a long time after you have left the theatre….
Please note – the theatre only has an arrangement with the Q Park car park (you get 1 hour free parking, which I forgot!?!?) so bear this in mind when parking, as the car park next to the Crucible is quite expensive!
There was also a bit of a queue for the Q-Park when leaving as everyone parks there for the theatre.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £14 to £32 (booking fees may apply).
The Kite Runner is at the Lyceum Theatre in Sheffield from 17-21 October 2017, for more information or to book tickets visit www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk or call the box office on 0114 249 6000.
Lyceum Theatre, Norfolk St, Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S1 1DA | 0114 249 6000
