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.
Playwright Matthew Spangler ensures that the audience is able to understand Amir’s motivations by crowning him as the narrator, which allows for a deeper look into his character. Unfortunately, this development also meant that the play sometimes resorts to relying on Amir’s narration to convey key story developments that they do not have the time to stage. While this fault is understandable given the breadth of Amir’s story, it removes key moments of hope from a heartbreaking story. Most of the major plot points that Spangler had to stage are incredibly depressing: racist attacks, the rape of a child, and the death of a father. When the moments in-between—Amir’s conversations with Rahim Khan or Amir and Soraya nursing Sohrab back to health after his suicide attempt—get lost in the shuffle, the story’s meaning changes. It becomes about the tragedy rather than the atonement. In two and a half hours, sacrifices have to be made, but they still have an impact on how the story lands.
The play takes some time to dig into and to feel a part of, though when it does the journey soars. Ramzi Khalaf does a wonderful job as Amir, carrying the production with the prodigious amount of dialogue during the show's two plus hours. He recounts his journey to the audience stepping into the action after setting up each scene.
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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