Leeds Playhouse – until 14 June 2025
Reviewed by Sal E Marino
5 *****
It’s rare that a story can get to the core of political turmoil and tell it through the personal resilience of women but that is exactly what Khaled Hosseini’s spectacular novel ‘A Thousand Splendid Suns’ achieves. Playwright Ursula Rani Sarma has adapted Hosseini’s spiritual sequel with both the emotional power and clarity of the original thus bringing to life the tragically heartbreaking but fantastically brave tale of two Afghan women – Mariam (Rina Fatania) and Laila (Kerena Jagpal). Brought together by their common nemesis in the form of their husband, Rasheed (Jonas Khan), these two women form an unlikely bond which becomes a family tie beyond what is mortal but of that which is at a soul level. Mariam’s part of their soul contract is to become a sacrifice for the sake of the happiness of others but, what she gains through Laila and her family is something she has never experienced before – a profound sense of being loved and wanted. Egos soon become set aside as the women realise that they’re on the same side; that of survival. A Thousand Splendid Suns is gripping, filled with emotional highs and lows – difficult to watch at times and will evoke tears of deep compassion. You won’t be able to take your eyes off the stage for a second because it’s a truly mesmerising production from start to finish.
The two leads at the centre of the play, Mariam and Laila, begin as total opposites in age, looks and upbringing. They appear to have no common ground except for being women in a war-torn country and the captives of an abusive husband and a brutal, political regime. Fatania as Mariam conveys an aching vulnerability, the older wife who has been cast aside for the beautiful and young Laila but, as the play develops, she becomes an inspiring tower of strength. Using her wits, growing determination and courage Mariam transforms into being one of literature’s greatest heroines. Jagpal’s Laila enters the story as a bright and bold teenager who through the tragic loss of her beloved father and mother, becomes the enslaved other wife of Rasheed. Despite all the odds, Laila never loses her unique spirit as her husband and the Taliban don’t manage to break her and with her new found friendship with the ‘other wife’, Laila manages to hold on to her children and her life.
Brilliant director Roxana Silbert shows us domestic violence, public executions and the oppressive edicts of the Taliban in this play and at no point are the audience shielded from the darkness but, it needs to be shown in order to shine the light. The beauty that comes through the shadows in the tender moments are in balance with the horrors and indeed outshine them. We need to see and witness the atrocities to be able to appreciate the love, the bond of solidarity between the two women and the ultimate sacrifice one human makes for another. Rina Fatania and Kerena Jagpal’s performances as Mariam and Laila are outstanding and at the heart of the play but alongside them in the form of Rasheed, Jonas Khan’s must be given the upmost praise for the portrayal of his challenging character. Khan plays Rasheed with a brutal honesty – chilling, cruel and depicts misogyny at its very worst. The highly talented ensemble cast – David Ahmad, Jonny Khan, Noah Manzoor, Peyvand Sadeghian, Tahir shah and Humera Syed play multiple roles with authentic depth and a fluidity which keeps the narrative flowing throughout the unfolding timeline. Humera Syed is exquisite as young Mariam and little Aziza – she makes your heart swell and ache with compassion for both characters.
Bringing Kabul to life on stage was the task of Simon Kenny who achieves this by incorporating authentic Afghan carpet designs on the set which are both rich in colour and culture. The staging is extremely clever in how we can feel at ‘home’, at a train station or up in the mountains all in one frame. Lighting (Matt Haskins), sound (Clive Meldrum) and movement (Kuldip Singh-Barmi) all help create memory flashbacks, time shifts and scene changes with dramatic clarity and smooth transitions. A Thousand Splendid Suns takes one on a journey of the intimate struggles of its characters within the backdrop of an inhumane socio-political context. This story offers hope in desperate times, hope that the human race will survive because even though those who have dark agendas appear to be in control, they can never extinguish the divine light of love that we each hold within us – and that love is the stronger force. Through Mariam and Laila, we are offered a glimpse of what it means to be the light and to share the unbreakable bond of what it is to be human. A Thousand Splendid Suns is truly remarkable theatre – unmissable!