The Kite Runner
Cambridge Arts Theatre
14th May 2024
‘The Kite Runner’, based on Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel published in 2003, has arrived on our regional stages this Spring following a Broadway run in 2022. A powerful story of friendship and loyalty amidst political unrest and religious segregation might not instantly sound like a fun night out, but audiences took the tale to their hearts, embracing the humanity within the story and its ultimately uplifting message. The tour is now around halfway through its run, and stops this week at the Cambridge Arts Theatre.
Told over three decades, ‘The Kite Runner’ takes us to 1970s Afghanistan, a nation on the verge of war, and sees childhood friends Amir (played by Stuart Vincent) and Hassan (Yazdan Qafouri) finding joy in the local kite-running tournament. The boys are from different ethnic groups and classes, but are unaware of the true horrors of the world around them. In a desperate need to please his father Baba (Dean Rehman), Amir betrays Hassan, an event which shatters their friendship and sets them on very different life paths. When Hassan suffers a shocking attack at the hands of local bully Assef (Bhavin Bhatt), Amir turns a blind eye in fear, and a guilt sets in which looms over the following decades of Amir’s life, until an opportunity arises in 2001 to atone for past mistakes. Fearfully returning to a Taliban-controlled Kabul, Amir faces his demons and unearths family secrets, while discovering “There is a way to be good again”.
Leisurely-paced but all the more rewarding because of it, ‘The Kite Runner’ is a rich and moving story of human flaws delivered beautifully. Adapted for the stage by playwright Matthew Spangler and directed by Giles Croft, the production remains faithful to Hosseini’s novel and translates it with emotion and heart. It certainly keeps the audience on its toes, with moments of tenderness and joy, violence and anger, serenity and heartbreak. Although the source narrative remains gripping, the production can feel too slow at times, the narration framework falls foul of telling us everything rather than always showing us, and the multiple ensemble characters played by the same actors does feel confusing at times. These are minor grumbles though, as the overall conviction of the piece shines through.
The creative team are hugely effective in conveying the beauty of the Afghan culture, with Barney George’s set design, Charles Balfour’s lighting and William Simpson’s projections combining to create a vibrant dream-like vision. Jonathan Girling’s score composition enhances this his further, enriched also by Hanif Khan who sits serenely on stage throughout as the show’s resident Tabla player, and is amazingly skilful at bringing the middle-Eastern beats to life.
The role of Amir is a massive one, remaining on stage throughout, narrating the story and being the core that holds it all together, and Stuart Vincent does an astonishing job. Likeable from the second he opens his mouth, and equally brilliant as both the young boy and the adult decades apart, Vincent creates an exceptional journey. With a huge amount of dialogue to deliver and a range of emotions to play in the story, he really is remarkable. He’s matched by Yazdan Qafouri who is equally excellent, first as the young innocent Hassan and later as the fragile Sohrab. The fragile tenderness of his delivery is just stunning, and the anguish he shows later will literally break your heart. It’s incredible work by Qafouri and stays with you long after the bows. The two leading men are ably supported by a strong ensemble who all also do a fine job in their assorted roles.
An uplifting heartbreaker worth the pain, ‘The Kite Runner’ may be a tough watch at times, but there is beauty behind the bleakness, and is well worth your time. Easy to embrace and with spell-binding performances from Vincent and Qafouri, this is powerful stuff, and a hugely humbling experience.
‘The Kite Runner’ runs at the Cambridge Arts Theatre until Saturday 18th May 2024 before continuing on its UK tour through to July 2024.
Performance runtime 2 hours 30 minutes including interval.
