One of the best-loved and most highly acclaimed novels of our time, THE KITE RUNNER is a powerful play of friendship that follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption. Afghanistan is a divided country 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 of the boys can foresee the incident which will change their lives forever. Told across two decades and two continents, THE KITE RUNNER is an unforgettable journey of redemption and forgiveness, and shows us all that we can be good again.
There are some brilliant visual interludes here involving kite imagery and the juxtaposition of Kabul streetscapes with San Francisco. (Credit to the combined efforts of scenic designer Barney George, lighting designer Charles Balfour, and projection designer William Simpson). The percussion accompaniment (especially as performed by tabla artist Salar Nader; Jonathan Girling is credited as composer and music supervisor) creates an often hypnotic soundscape, aided by the sound design of Drew Baumohl, that moves us from dream to nightmare.
I was surprised but not disappointed. This piece, it turns out, is quite modest, but I found that modesty — the focus on the central character’s interior journey, the clarity of the relationships, the novel’s language, the spare rather than the spectacular — to have its own beguiling charms.
| 2017 | West End |
West End Transfer West End |
| 2017 | West End |
2017 West End Transfer West End |
| 2022 | Broadway |
Original Broadway Production Broadway |
| 2024 | US Tour |
North American Tour US Tour |
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