NS Archive 2019: A Thousand Splendid Suns
Thu 30 May – Sat 15 Jun 2019
Northern Stage and Birmingham Repertory Theatre in association with Nuffield Southampton Theatres
The UK stage première of Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel.
It’s 1992 in an Afghanistan ravaged by war, and orphaned Laila is left alone in an increasingly threatening world. Her older neighbour Rasheed is quick to open his home to her, but his intentions soon become clear when he takes Laila as his second wife.
Rasheed’s first wife Mariam has no choice but to accept her younger, and now pregnant, rival. As the Taliban take over, life becomes a desperate struggle against starvation, brutality and fear and the two women find themselves unlikely allies.
From the writer of The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns is a powerful testament to how love grows and sustains the human spirit even during the hardest of times.
Toured to Birmingham Rep, Hackney Empire, Nuffield Southampton Theatres
Credits
Cast
Tariq/Wakil/Driver/Ensemble – Waleed Akhtar
Rasheed – Pal Aron
Laila – Sujaya Dasgupta
Jalil/Abdul/Sharif/Interrogator/Ensemble – Munir Khairdin
Babi/Mullah Faizullah/Zama/Militiaman/Ensemble – Naveed Khan
Zalmai/Afsoon/Girl/Wakil’s Wife/Ensemble – Mollie Lambert
Young Mariam/Aziza/Nurse/Ensemble – Shala Nyx
Nana/Fariba/Doctor/Ensemble – Lisa Zahra
Mariam – Amina Zia
Creative Team
Author – Khaled Hosseini
Playwright – Ursula Rani Sarma
Director – Roxana Silbert
Designer – Ana Inés Jabares-Pita
Lighting Designer – Simon Bond
Co-composer –Mahmood Kamen
Co-composer and sound designer – Dave Price
Movement Director – Lucy Cullingford
Fight Director – Terry King
Magic Consultant – Ben Hart
Voice Director – Stephen Kemble
Associate Director – Madeleine Kludje
JMK Assistant Director – William Ashford
Casting Director – Gabrielle Dawes
Company Stage Manager – Alec Reece
Deputy Stage Manager – Clare Loxley
Assistant Stage Manager – Sara-Jayne Smith
Production Photos
by Pamela Raith
Reviews
★★★★★ “storytelling at its very best” – Broadway World
★★★★★ “Everything theatre should be…gripping, heartrending…inspiring” – Whats On Stage
★★★★ “shines a light of love on the darkest of times” – Evening Chronicle
★★★★ “captures the essence of Hosseini’s original story…beautiful, engrossing”
Programme
View the programme for A Thousand Splendid Suns.