This isn’t a sponsored post.
BrumHour saw A Thousand Splendid Suns at the invite of Birmingham Rep.
By George Elsmere-Whitney
A Thousand Splendid Suns at Birmingham Rep: Review
“A tough but important watch”
Directed by Roxana Silbert adapted by Ursula Rani Sarma
A Thousand Splendid Suns is a powerful adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s best-selling novel. Set in Afghanistan, the story follows Laila (Kerena Jagpal), an orphan who becomes the second wife of her much older neighbour, Rasheed (Jonas Khan). Forced to live alongside each other, Laila and Rasheed’s first wife, Mariam (Rina Fatania), forge an unlikely friendship, as the rise of the Taliban plunges them into a life of fear and hardship.
The personal story of Laila and Mariam comes across most strongly as the two women slowly set aside their rivalry and instead learn to support each other in the face of Rasheed’s violence. Simon Kenny’s sparse set is used to great effect, with the different levels allowing the story to move seamlessly between different time periods as the women begin to tell stories of their past.
With the action taking place mostly within Rasheed’s house, the wider political story is a little lost. Aside from a brief mention of the Titanic phenomenon in the second act, there are few clues about when the play is taking place. It would be easy to assume that Afghanistan’s struggles are in the past, and not still a very real experience for many women.
Trauma upon trauma is piled onto the heads of Mariam and Laila, but Rina Fatania and Kerena Jagpal are able to bring moments of lightness to their performances. Despite the constant grinding oppression, they find joy in their blossoming friendship, in Laila’s children, and in building the family that both of them have been missing.
Jonas Khan’s Rasheed is a sinister presence, saved from cartoonish villainy by his own belief that he is the hero, literally pulling Laila from the rubble of her old life and giving her a home, protected from the violence of Khabul’s streets. The rest of the cast are equally strong, all seamlessly moving between multiple roles. Tariq (Jonny Khan), Laila’s childhood sweetheart, however, does suffer from his limited time on stage. With so little time to get to know him, it’s hard to see why Laila’s love for him has persisted for more than a decade, other than seeing him as a ticket out of her nightmarish home life.
While this play is certainly a tough watch, it’s also an important one, with an essential story to tell.
A Thousand Splendid Suns is at Birmingham Rep until 3rd May 2025. Book tickets here: birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/a-thousand-splendid-suns.
