THE stage version of Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling 2003 novel, The Kite Runner, opened at The Mayflower Theatre last night.

In a haunting tale of friendship Amir is an only child growing up in 1970s Afghanistan with his wealthy widower father, Baba. His best friend is his father’s servant’s son, Hassan.

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 nor Amir can foresee the terrible incident which will shatter their lives forever.

The boys friendship bridges their cultural differences – Hassan is a Hazara Shi'a Muslim and Amir a Pashtun Sunni Muslim – and any tensions between them are seldom an issue until neighborhood bully Assef begins picking on Hassan – the sickening horror of what happens to him tears their friendship apart and unleashes a lifetime filled with guilt and betrayal.

Afghanistan is a divided country on the verge of war, and The Kite Runner plays on the symbolic and metaphoric invasion by the Soviets.

The set design is a simple wooden fence, a few tea chests and a skate-board ramp, with a large kite that dominates the stage, this means the characters can move easily between scenes and memories. The subtle music and sounds help to evoke the play’s scene setting.

Amir, played by Raj Ghatak, is on stage for the whole play, narrating the story and playing both his adult and child self. And, although it felt a little strange at first to watch two grown men transcend to their childlike states and run around the stage playing tag, it didn't take long before it seemed perfectly natural. Amir transitions his role with dramatic changes of accent and language and seems to be full of the emotion of the character he plays – which transfers to the audience.

Gary Pillai is Baba – a proud and wealthy businessman. He is utterly convincing in his role and commands the stage when he is speaking.

Assef is portrayed by Soroosh Lavasini, who manages to capture the menacing psychopath with a chilling accuracy that is both disturbing and compelling.

But the outstanding performance of the night has to go to the trusting and extremely loyal Hassan, who is played by Jo Ben Ayed. His role is truly heartbreaking and he manages to portray it in a way that resonates perfectly with the audience, who are enthralled by his performance.

In all, The Kite Runner is a hard-hitting and emotional production with somewhat dark political undertones of the horrific brutality that Afghanistan has seen in its history.

It really is a must see!

Catherine Collins