The Kite Runner at The Lowry

Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international best-selling novel (adapted by Matthew Spangler), The Kite Runner is a tale of friendship spanning cultures and continents. Set in an Afghanistan on the verge of war, the play initially follows the early journey of two childhood friends – Amir (a tournament kite flyer) and Hassan (his kite runner) to an event that will tear them apart; an event that, years later, starts a journey to confront the past and find redemption.

David Ahmad (Amir) has rightly won universal praise for his performance. As the adult narrator he guides us through his tale as if reading to us from the pages of the original book, then suddenly he’s in the story – a young boy, teenager, man – conveying the emotions first hand. We believe his every move as he jumps in and out of the pages, relating and reliving the relationships of his life: the strained relationship with his father Baba (emotionally played by Emilio Doorgasingh); the formative relationship with his childhood best friend Hassan (the excellent Jo Ben Ayed); the interactions with family and taunters.

Beautifully designed and lit by Barney George and Charles Balfour, Giles Croft’s perfect direction is complemented by the haunting, evocative sounds of on stage Tabla player Hanif Khan.

Both shocking and mesmerising, the evening left me an emotional wreck!

By Garry Thomas-Lowde for Canal St Online book here.

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Published: 5-Oct-2017 (4553)