Kite flying competitions are a key part of Afghan culture and see the youngest in society come together to show off their skills. It can unite generations, social classes and ethnicities with such a simple device, and it’s this culture which gives rise to a very unique story.
The Kite Runner centres on Amir, a young boy growing up in Kabul with his Baba, and their servants Ali and his son Hassan. The two boys are inseparable and often play together, with Hassan always showing undying loyalty to his friend, no matter the circumstances. But when something happens to Hassan that Amir could have prevented, the guilt makes him work to send Hassan away, so he can avoid the bitter truth. Amir and Baba move to America following the Soviet Invasion, but he’s forced to return when a friend of his father’s asks him to, and he must suddenly face the truth and his past if he’s to prevent history repeating itself.
This play is very heavy and very dark. It’s a beautiful story that intricately weaves so many stunning creative elements into one very considered production but be prepared for how complex and shocking this story is. This play needs content warnings put on its promotional materials as a matter of urgency, as if you’re unaware of this story as I was, several moments may be too intense to see unprepared.
That aside, this story and the way it has been translated onto the stage is breathtaking. There are so many wonderful creative decisions that have been made in bringing this play to life and so many were executed brilliantly. I really enjoyed the projection throughout the play, particularly when combined with the large fan-like set pieces that come down into the playing space, and the versatility to which they are used. There are no large set pieces used besides these and there doesn’t need to be. The space was used very well. This worked magically with the sound and light design, which drew you into this world and oftentimes made you feel as though you were there.
The story, which is based on a 2003 book of the same name, is filled with unique story beats, combining a created fictional narrative with historical fact seamlessly. Having our main character Amir narrate the story directly to the audience felt as though we were reading the book and having these scenes play out in our minds, which is refreshing and worked really well for me, it emphasised the connection Amir has with the audience throughout and allows you to feel sympathy towards him the entire time, even when we probably shouldn’t be feeling anything of the sort towards him.
Speaking of Amir, actor Stuart Vincent was easily a stand-out performer in this cast. On stage for almost, if not all, every single minute of the run is no mean feat and Vincent executes his role perfectly. His mannerisms, characterisation and understanding of his character really draws you in to every word he is saying and is a fantastic actor for this role. Another notable factor was his obvious close relationship with the other star performer in the cast, Yazdan Qafouri playing Hassan, and later Sohrab. What an actor! The innocence, the loyalty, the dedication that his characters exhibits is not lost with Qafouri and you cannot help tearing up at every incident that occurs with his characters. The two performers together have such a perfect bond for these roles and together, they really make this play what it is.
The Kite Runner left me shocked. Not only for the intense themes (content warnings need to be put on this!) but also the beauty of the story and their careful depiction on stage which was a joy to watch. I went into this play knowing nothing about it, and I’m very glad I got to experience The Kite Runner for the first time with this production.
Rating: ★★★★☆
The Kite Runner is playing at the Lyceum Theatre until June 8th, & touring the U.K. until July 6th
