There are so many things to do and so many things to see, when you visit London, so it can be quite hard to chose! I will however say, that you can’t leave London without having been to Theatre Land – also known as The West End. The West End is London’s alternative to New York’s Broadway and represents the highest level of musicals, plays and concerts one can reach in the UK
Take a walk in the area around Leicester Square and Covent Garden and you will find all the entertainment you can possibly dream of
Yesterday Frenchie and I went to see “The Kite Runner” at Wyndham’s Theatre courtesy of Box Office
Based on Khaled Hosseini’s international best-selling novel, this powerful story has now been adapted into a stunning new stage production. It is a haunting tale of friendship which spans cultures and continents – following one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption.
Inside Wyndham’s Theatre – opened by the actor/manager Charles Wyndham on 16 November 1899 in the presence of the Prince of Wales.
Waiting for the play to start… There are several bars at Wyndham’s Theatre, where you can indulge yourself with snacks and wine
My new friend provided us with goodies to bring inside the theatre…
We got great seats in the Stalls (I wasn’t allowed to take pictures inside the theatre, so I went undercover with my iPhone…)
I don’t know, if you have ever read “The Kite Runner”, but if you haven’t I strongly urge you to do so. It is an amazing tale of of Amir, a young boy from Kabul, whose closest friend is Hassan, his father’s young Hazara servant. The story is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan’s monarchy through the Soviet military intervention, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime.
Ben Turner playing Amir from a seven-year-old through to adulthood.
In an interview with Ben Turner he said, “I was worried reading the play and wondering if they were going to cut corners but I was pleasantly surprised. It just got me in the same way that the book did – it’s sort of the role of a lifetime in many ways. It’s a piece that I love, it’s relevant.”
What I really loved about this play is, that it was a truthful adaption and loyal to the book! I’m not a big fan of too many changes – which is why, I really didn’t like the film.
Khaled Hosseini himself said the stage version (by Matthew Spangler), is “very different” to the film. “What is appealing is it lets you put a lot more of the book and text on the stage” (I couldn’t agree more!)
Farshid Rokey gave such a tremendous performance, first as Hassan and subsequently as Hassan’s son, Sohrab, a child damaged by both his family and his country’s histories
(photos from the play are kindly lend to me by online press-releases)
“The Kite Runner” became a bestseller after being printed in paperback and was popularized in book clubs. It was a number one New York Times bestseller for over two years!
I was “nuts” about the play!
Outside Wyndham’s Theatre in London’s West End
I’d like to thank Carly and Box Office for inviting me to this amazing play. Usually I prefer musicals, but this experience has certainly made me open my eyes to other possibilities. If you enjoyed the book, you should definitely go and see “The Kite Runner”. The play will be flying high at Wyndham’s Theatre for a strictly limited season until 11th March 2017. Get your tickets here
