The Kite Runner tour 2020


London theatre news: Wednesday 15 January 2020


Shows - Tours

The Kite Runner is to tour the UK in 2020 following two acclaimed West End seasons, when it played to over 100,000 people and received standing ovations at every performance.
The Kite Runner on tour 2020

Hassan (Andrei Costin) and Amir (Davd Ahmad) - photo by Irina Chira


There's another chance to catch The Kite Runner as it makes its way on a UK tour starting next month.


Reviewing the show during a run at the Playhouse Theatre back in 2017, our reviewer awarded the show 5 stars, describing it as "enthralling, emotionally-charged and unmissable storytelling at its singular best".


This is most definitely a show that you won't want to miss if you haven't seen it before.


The show will tour to ...


Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury (21 - 22 February)

Theatre Clywd, Mold (5 - 7 March)

Richmond Theatre (10 - 14 March)

Salisbury Playhouse (17 - 21 March)

Leeds Playhouse (31 March - 4 April)

Lowry, Salford (7 - 11 April)

Churchill Theatre, Bromley (14 - 18 April)

Wolverhampton Grand Theatre (21 - 25 April)

Eastbourne Devonshire Theatre (28 April - 2 May)

Plymouth Theatre Royal (4 - 9 May)

Darlington Hippodrome (12 - 16 May)

Cardiff New Theatre (19 - 23rd May)

Inverness Eden Court (26 - 30 May)

Woking New Victoria Theatre (2 - 6 June)

Oxford Playhouse (9 - 13 June)

Southampton Nuffield Theatre (16 - 19 June)

Leicester Curve Theatre (22 - 27 June)

Sheffield Lyceum (30 June - 4 July).


Additionally, the show is slated to premiere in Dubai at the 2,000-seat Dubai Opera from 27 to 29 February.


David Ahmad will return to the central role of Amir, with Andrei Costin as Hassan and Sohrab, Lisa Zahra as Soraya and Bhavin Bhatt as bad boy Assef, a role that led to him being named "Best Newcomer" at the Asian Media Awards.


The cast is completed by Tiran Aakel, Ian Abeyesekera, Adam Samuel Bal, Christopher Glover, Rhian Mclean, Dean Rehman, Stuart Vincent, Stanton Wright with Hanif Khan as the onstage Tabla Player.


Based on Khaled Hosseini's international best-selling novel, the compelling story follows one man's journey to confront his past and find redemption.


Afghanistan is a divided country on the verge of war 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 Hassan or Amir can foresee the terrible incident which will shatter their lives forever ...


Published in 2003, The Kite Runner was Khaled Hosseini's first novel but became an instant bestseller across the globe and has since been published in 70 countries, selling 31.5 million copies in 60 languages.


The stage version is adapted by Matthew Spangler and directed by Giles Croft and produced by Martin Dodd for UK Productions and Derek Nicol and Paul Walden for Flying Entertainment.


The show was originally produced by Nottingham Playhouse and Liverpool Everyman and Playhouse.


Giles Croft, who was artistic director at Nottingham Playhouse for 18 years and directed more than 50 productions there, rates The Kite Runner as a soaring highlight of his career ...


"The response is always extraordinarily powerful and we are fortunate to get standing ovations at every performance, with audiences connecting deeply and emotionally with the characters and the story."


It is, Giles strongly believes, a story with universal resonance ...


"It speaks to all people through the core themes of guilt, forgiveness and redemption.


Those are things that we all have some connection with.


It doesn't matter who you are or where you are, it will speak to you."


Matthew Spangler says that the play covers many universal themes: a father and son relationship, friendship, love, global politics, refugees, forgiveness and redemption.


He added ...


"A more conventional play might just choose one of those themes, but in The Kite Runner all the themes kind of swim around each other.


There's always something new happening on stage and something new to think about.


It's a very sad but hopeful and moving story.


Maybe people will leave with a greater understanding of the themes and it's great if they do, but at the very basic level it's a piece of storytelling and emotion."


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