HAUNTING
KITE RUNNER BROUGHT TO LIFE ON STAGE
The
Kite Runner
Newcastle Theatre Royal
Monday 30th April –
Saturday 5th May 2018
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
The compelling stage production based on the internationally best-selling novel The Kite Runner will soar into Newcastle Theatre Royal later this month for one week only.
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
The stunning stage production The Kite Runner is based on Khaled
Hosseini’s haunting best-seller novel of the same name. Coming to Newcastle
direct from two acclaimed West End seasons, where it played to over 100,000
people and received standing ovations at every show, it is recognised as a
theatrical tour-de-force.
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
A heart-wrenching tale of
friendship which spans cultures and continents, it 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. On a
beautiful afternoon in Kabul, 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...
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
The
Kite Runner, published in 2003, was Khaled Hosseini’s
first novel. It became an instant bestseller across the globe and has since
been published in 70 countries, selling 31.5 million copies in 60 languages.
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
The cast features Raj Ghatak
in the central role as the show’s narrator, Amir. Raj played ‘Sweetie’ in Bombay Dreams in the West End and was nominated
for Best Actor and Best Supporting Performance in a Musical. His TV credits
include: Tom Hardy’s Taboo, Dead Set (BAFTA winner) and The 7.39 (BAFTA nominated).
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
The music for the production
is led by Hanif Khan, a professional tabla player and teacher who has performed
both nationwide and internationally. He has worked with some of the leading
exponents of Indian classical music such as: Hariprasad Chaurasia, Rajan and
Sajan Mishra, Ronu Majumdar, Nishat Khan, amongst others. Audiences have
included Prince Phillip, Prince Charles and Sir Paul McCartney.
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
Stage Adaptation is by Matthew
Spangler, a playwright, director, and professor based in the San Francisco Bay
Area. His other plays include James
Joyce’s Dubliners and Finnegan’s Wake; A Paradise It Seems, an adaptation of John Cheever’s short stories;
Mozart!, a musical theatre adaptation
of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s letters; as well as stage adaptations of John
Steinbeck’s fiction; Ernest Hemingway’s short stories; Thomas Wolfe’s The Lost Boy; Clyde Edgerton’s Where Trouble Sleeps; and T.C. Boyle’s Tortilla Curtain (recipient of an
Edgerton Foundation New American Play Award).
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
The novel’s author Khaled
Hosseini was born in Kabul, Afghanistan, in 1965. Hosseini graduated with a
medical degree from the University of California, San Diego in 1993. In March
2001, while practicing medicine, he began writing his first novel, The Kite Runner. Published by Bloomsbury
in 2003, that debut went on to become an international bestseller and beloved
classic, spending more than 100 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list.
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
In
May 2007, his second novel, A Thousand
Splendid Suns, debuted at #1 on the New York Times bestseller list,
remaining in that spot for 15 weeks and nearly an entire year on the bestseller
list. Together, the two books have sold more than 10 million copies in the
United States and more than 38 million copies worldwide. In 2006, Hosseini was
named a Goodwill Envoy to UNHCR, the United Nations Refugee Agency and has
established The Khaled Hosseini Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, which
provides humanitarian assistance to the people of Afghanistan. He lives in
Northern California.
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
Director Giles Croft was
Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse between 1999 – 2017 during which time
he directed more than 50 productions including: The Glass Menagerie; Any
Means Necessary; Tony’s Last Tape;
Forever Young; Arcadia; The Second Minute;
Charlie Peace: His Amazing Life And
Astounding Legend. Giles is also a playwright and his work has been
produced widely in the UK and Europe.
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| Photo Betty Zapata |
The
Kite Runner is produced by Martin Dodd for UK Productions
and Derek Nicol & Paul Walden for Flying Entertainment.
Tickets:
The Kite Runner is at
Newcastle Theatre Royal Monday 30 April – Saturday 5 May 2018 at 7.30pm with matinees
Thursday 2pm and Saturday 2.30pm. Tickets
from £14.50 can be purchased from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 08448 11 21
21 (Calls cost 7ppm plus your
phone company’s access charge) or book online at www.theatreroyal.co.uk (Please note the production is recommended for
ages 14+ and features some scenes which may shock).
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