A Thousand Splendid Suns at Nottingham Playhouse: “Compelling and impactful” — theatre review
This stage adaptation of the Khaled Hosseini novel doesn't shy away from difficult themes
Nottingham Playhouse is always a real pleasure to visit, thanks to its quality, curated shows. It’s currently showing A Thousand Splendid Suns — a theatre adaptation of the 2007 novel by Khaled Hosseini, which it’s presenting alongside Birmingham REP and Leeds Playhouse.
I went and reviewed it on its press night, which was jam-packed with people. I didn’t know what to expect going into it, but I left feeling emotional and moved.
If you’re looking to go to events in Nottingham this May, A Thousand Splendid Suns is on here until May 24.
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A Thousand Splendid Suns — compelling and important watching
★★★★
By Eve Smallman
Photos by Ellie Kurttz
I’ll be honest — I went into A Thousand Splendid Suns a little blind, having not read the 2007 book beforehand. However, I have read Khaled Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, and it’s considered the spiritual sequel of this, so I expected a story filled with political themes, harrowing moments, and flickers of love and hope.
This story is set in Afghanistan and moves across time throughout the whole show. It follows Mariam (Rina Fatania) and Laila (Kerena Jagpal) — two women who become unlikely allies after an orphaned Laila becomes Mariam’s husband’s second wife.
It is set across a 40-year period, jumping between timelines to show Mariam and Laila’s childhoods, and then following them on their journey until the end. I first found the timeline changes a little jarring as they felt quite quick, but once I got used to them, they made sense.
The first five minutes of the show are pleasant and settled, with Laila’s parents being introduced and the happiness of that family shining. Then, the stage goes dark and the sound of a rocket crashes through the theatre. After that, I never felt at ease throughout the show.
It doesn’t shy away from the themes of violence, with Jonas Khan’s Rasheed keeping a sinister thumb on all situations and brutality even being carried out (with stage acting, of course). If you are prepared to be swallowed into that fear and to be shocked, it certainly makes for important watching. I also thought it was great that there were posters displayed for JUNO Women’s Aid in the theatre, for those affected by the themes in the show.
There are moments of humour in it, which are delivered especially well by Rina’s Mariam, with her impressive facial expressions. With so many scenes that made me feel sick to my stomach, a little laugh was needed.
I did feel that sometimes she was used too much for comedic relief, especially when she is so important as a character. That being said, the show did capture the feeling of being in real situations where you don’t know whether to laugh or just be quiet brilliantly.
Simon Kenny’s set is beautiful to look at by itself, with its rich carpets and tapestry, but it’s also cleverly designed with tiled zones to represent different rooms and landscapes. This made it easy for it shape shift between being a house, the mountains of Kabul, and train stations.
The use of the ‘trees’ in the second act — withering and then becoming golden — symbolises the themes of despair and hope cleverly. I also thought that Simon’s costumes represented the joy and sadness of characters effectively with colours and styles.
The show is presented by Nottingham Playhouse, Birmingham REP, and Leeds Playhouse. It is a real treat to hear Midlands and Northern accents throughout, showing the importance of this collaboration between the three theatres.
If you’re looking for an easy watch at the theatre, this isn’t it. But if you’d like to be transported to a different place, to not be able to look away, and to leave feeling moved, A Thousand Splendid Suns is compelling and impactful.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is playing at Nottingham Playhouse until May 24. nottinghamplayhouse.co.uk
It also plays at Leeds Playhouse from May 28-June 14. leedsplayhouse.org.uk
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