The Kite Runner – York Theatre Royal

Writer: Khaled Hosseini

Adaptor: Matthew Spangler

Director: Giles Croft

Adaptations of plays often use artistic licence and take liberties with the storyline in order to translate it to the stage. In this instance the best-selling novel by Khaled Hosseini, The Kite Runner has been adapted by Matthew Spangler, and he has ensured that the original story from the book that has been read and loved my so many, remains fully in tact.

The show is stunning, starting with Stuart Vincent, who is incredible as main protagonist, Amir. His memory is astonishing, he has so many lines and is on stage for such a large percentage of the show that one could be forgiven for thinking that the show might simply be a vehicle for Vincent and that the rest of the cast are somehow less impactful. Not so, however as he is supported by an outstanding cast who are clearly all living this play from the moment each of them steps on to the stage.

As the play begins, the audience could be forgiven for thinking this is a recap of a (surprisingly) lovely childhood in Afghanistan. The story starts in Kabul in the 1970’s. Amir and his servant Hassan (the exceptional Yazdan Qafouri) fly kites at the local kite running tournament. They ignore the fact they are from different religious groups and we are let into their deep friendship and brotherly relationship.

The story takes a darker turn after a vicious assault takes place on Hassan by sadistic and horrible Assef (played convincingly by Bhavin Bhatt). The raw emotion in the scene, silenced the audience. It is incredibly hard to watch as Amir grapples with guilt and fear but does nothing to help his friend. Hassan and his father leave Amir’s house following this incident and we then follow Amir ‘s journey through the turmoil in Afghanistan as the Russians and then the Taliban invade. We see him flee the country before eventually he and his Baba (portrayed beautifully by Dean Rehman) find a new life in San Francisco. That is, until 2001 when he returns to Kabul having been told “There is a way to be good again.”

There is a huge amount of content to cover from the book, which itself is split into three parts, and much of it is absolutely not light entertainment, there are some truly harrowing moments and horrific scenes. The clever staging of these by Director Giles Croft ensures that the audience are not overwhelmed by the darkness of the content, as they are mostly shown through shadows or on screens. There are lighter moments too, which help to break the tension, and Amir regularly breaks the fourth wall to narrate the events that are happening, which does help to ease the audience into each new scene. For some this may be a little jarring, but it is a technique that has been deftly used.

By the end, the cast are all pretty much wrung out, such is the emotion and the physical exertion of this play. Even the brilliant Tabla player Hanif Khan, who is on stage throughout clearly goes on this journey with the actors every night – it is no mean feat to be playing such beautiful music almost non-stop for two hours.

This is a relentless, gripping play with touching moments, raw emotions and a story that needs to be told.

Runs until 22nd June.