The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureTheatre

The Kite Runner at Wyndham’s Theatre

The Kite Runner at Wyndham’s Theatre | Theatre review
11 January 2017
Georgie Cowan-Turner
Avatar
Georgie Cowan-Turner
11 January 2017

The Kite Runner cuts down the prejudice and racism of Trump era politics and wins our hearts by reminding us what it means to be human. As the crowds flooded out of the theatre following a well-deserved standing ovation, a woman groaned, “How cruel people are”. Her criticism of humans is equally the play’s triumph: the show portrays the cruelty seen daily in the Middle East but prevents audiences from gazing at people from this region as if they are inherently different. Cultures, music and languages are mixed on stage, painting a landscape of humanity.

The play flows like a visualisation of protagonist Amir’s memory. He looks back on his childhood in Afghanistan with his servant and friend Hassan and their love of kite running. The loss of his innocence is mirrored in the world around him, which is crumbling under religious turmoil and war. Projections represent different locations rather than the use of large set changes, creating the sense of memories flowing into each other and the foundations of Amir’s life never really altering. Traditional Afghani music accompanies action within scenes set in that country and also in Afghani sectors of San Francisco. The music of the Western 80s exaggerates the cultural shift between Afghanistan and America as Amir and his father are forced to leave their home, reminding the audience of how disorienting moving from one country to the other must be. A huge canvas kite occasionally spreads itself out, keeping the innocent game in the background even when violence dominates the foreground.

Ben Turner gives an engaging performance, playing both the older and younger Amir; at no point are viewers allowed to forget that he is looking back and, in a sense, tortured by his past. Andrei Costin is exceptional as both Hassan and Sohrab; the intensity and feeling behind his performance intensifies Amir’s guilt. All the cast are credible and accents are consistent. The use of different languages on stage, without translation, is equally original and prevents theatregoers from falling into the trap of seeing the Western world imposed on every culture.

Adaptor and director Giles Croft has done the book justice and the show retains much of the cultural colour and potency. The production does not preach or shrink away from violence: this is a play of life in the direst situations and how hope and love can help us survive.

★★★★★

Georgie Cowan-Turner
Photos: Robert Workman

The Kite Runner is at Wyndham’s Theatre from 21st December 2016 until 11th March 2017. Book your tickets here.

Watch the trailer for The Kite Runner here:

Please accept YouTube cookies to play this video. By accepting you will be accessing content from YouTube, a service provided by an external third party.

YouTube privacy policy

If you accept this notice, your choice will be saved and the page will refresh.

Related Itemsfeaturedreview

More in Theatre

Redemption Room at Secret Theatre Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

24, 23, 22 at Chronic Insanity Online

★★★★★
Samuel Nicholls
Read More

The Sorcerer’s Apprentice at Southwark Playhouse Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More

Typical at Soho Theatre

★★★★★
Ella Satin
Read More

Grimm Tales for Fragile Times and Broken People

★★★★★
Emma-Jane Betts
Read More

Gatsby at Cadogan Hall: An interview with Jodie Steele and Ross William Wild

Michael Higgs
Read More

Living Record Festival: Ain’t No Female Romeo

★★★★★
Brooke Snowe
Read More

West End Musical Drive In Online

★★★★★
James Humphrey
Read More

Hymn at the Almeida Theatre Online

★★★★★
Michael Higgs
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Theatre review

Georgie Cowan-Turner

The Kite Runner

★★★★★

Dates

21st December 2016 - 11th March 2017

Price

From £16

BUY TICKETS

Links & directions

TwitterFacebookWebsiteMap

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Creation Stories
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • Detroit Stories – Alice Cooper
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Judas and the Black Messiah
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Gatsby at Cadogan Hall: An interview with Jodie Steele and Ross William Wild
    Theatre
  • Laura Mvula – Under a Pink Moon
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Back to the Wharf
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
  • I’m Your Man (Ich bin dein Mensch)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • We (Nous)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Language Lessons
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Moon, 66 Questions
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • We (Nous)
    ★★★★★
    Berlinale
  • Bicep at Saatchi Gallery Online
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Winter Lake
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Spotlight: Lauren Everet and Soup Kitchen London, striving for food security and social equality
    Food & Drinks
  • Da Capo
    ★★★★★
    Film festivals
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

Live by Night | Movie review
BU21 at Trafalgar Studios 2 | Theatre review