The Kite Runner at Blackpool Grand

Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor

Book now

The Kite Runner

22-26 May 2018

Always double check opening hours with the venue before making a special visit.

The Kite Runner at Blackpool Grand
Betty Zapata
Book now

The Kite Runner has been described by The Stage as being “the best page to stage show” since War Horse and luckily for us it flies back up North and into Blackpool’s Grand Theatre this spring.

Following its publication in 2003, Khaled Hosseini’s novel was translated into 60 different languages and sold 31.5 million copies. Now, the story has been adapted into an extraordinary piece of theatre, with storytelling that soars as high as a kite.

Based on Hosseini’s sensational bestseller, The Kite Runner paints a gripping portrait of two boys who grow up in the same household in Kabul in the 1970’s. Amir is the son of the affluent widowed father in Afghanistan and Hassan is the son of the father’s trusted Hazara servant. The boys learn everything together – how to walk, read and fly kites – but will their lives follow the same paths forever?

Set in Afghanistan around the time of the Soviet invasion and the subsequent rise of the Taliban – an incident of childhood betrayal casts a guilty shadow over Amir’s life. Five years later, the Soviet Union militarily intervenes in Afghanistan, Amir and his father escape to Peshawar, Pakistan and then later settle in California where they establish a new and very different way of life.

Adapted for the stage by Matthew Spangler and suitable for ages fourteen and up, The Kite Runner is an unforgettable tale about a friendship which spans cultures and continents and follows one man’s journey to confront his past and find redemption.

Where to go near The Kite Runner at Blackpool Grand

Dirty Blonde's
Blackpool
Restaurant
Dirty Blonde’s

Dirty Blonde’s is a dive bar and pizza joint that feels more downtown New York than British seaside town. Go for the craft beer, graffitied walls and indie playlist, stay for the New York pizzas and wings.

Blackpool
Café or Coffee Shop
HIVE Blackpool

HIVE is an independent artisan quality coffee shop with its own art gallery, whose ‘GuggenHive’ wall gives a leg-up to emerging artists.

Blackpool
Event venue
Empress Ballroom

The Empress Ballroom is a famous Blackpool venue in the heart of Winter Gardens. It has a spectacular interior, and a capacity of 3350. This makes it a wonderful place for concerts and large events.

Charabanc blackpool
Blackpool
Shop
Charabanc

Charabanc is your go-to for vintage and handcrafted items including fashion, gifts and homewares.

West Coast Rock Cafe

Family owned restaurant that is famous for it’s burgers and brews its own beer, with a good location is close to the Winter Gardens. Its lockdown delivery menu offers everything you need for a family night in.

Mandarin
Blackpool
Restaurant
Michael Wan’s Mandarin

Think of Blackpool and what springs to mind? Whatever it is, it’s probably not top tier Cantonese dining. But a visit to Michael Wan’s Mandarin might just change that.

La Fontana
Blackpool
Restaurant
La Fontana

This cosy, family-run trattoria is perfect for couples and families alike, pairing lovingly-prepared plates of Italian classics with twinkling fairy lights, roman pillars and a fountain.

Image courtesy of Saoko Cocktail Bar.
Blackpool
Restaurant
Saoko Cocktail Club

This cocktail bar may be the new kid on the Blackpool block, but it’s already renowned for its excellent service and imaginative drinks that offer an ‘experience and a story’.

Twisted
Blackpool
Restaurant
Twisted Indian Street Food

Blackpool’s number one Indian restaurant, Twisted Indian packs a flavour punch and isn’t afraid to mix the traditional with the modern. Their motto? ‘Being normal is boring.’

Abington Street Market
Blackpool
Shop
Abington Street Market

Abington Street Market is a go-to for independent retail, housing 12 shopping units selling everything from handmade ceramics to clothing, crystals and cake.

What's on: Theatre

A large mechanical puppet controlled by multiple people. Encounter Festival in Preston
FestivalsLancashire
Encounter Festival in Preston

Expect a jam-packed day of outdoor performance, live music, family fun – plus Preston’s iconic Torchlight Procession and fireworks finale.

Free entry
FLIGHT at Aviva Studios
Until
TheatreCity Centre
FLIGHT at Aviva Studios

Happening in absolute darkness inside a 40ft shipping container, FLIGHT invites you to board a commercial airliner – and take two possible journeys.

From £10.00
How a Spiral Works at Lowry
TheatreSalford
How A Spiral Works at Lowry

With its blend of Baltic folk music, contemporary dance and extraordinary circus, this show promises a one-of-a-kind performance experience.

From £14.00
ARCADE at Lowry
Until
TheatreMediaCityUK
ARCADE at Lowry

A choose-your-own-adventure experience set inside a retro-style gaming cabinet, created by DARKFIELD.

From £16.00
SÉANCE at HOME
Until
TheatreManchester
SÉANCE at HOME

Happening at HOME, SÉANCE transforms the interior of a shipping container into a Victorian séance room.

From £13.00

Culture Guides

Exhibitions in the North

Galleries around the North are gearing up for a new season of exhibitions - from iconic art prizes to smaller, artist-led gems.

Cinema in the North

This month we recommend a season of Film noir, cult Australian movies and a huge celebration of DIY community cinema.

Theatre in Manchester and the North
Theatre in the North

This season’s theatre is gloriously eclectic: from radical cabaret and reinvented classics to new musicals and boundary-pushing performance.

Wisp Press Image
Music in the North

From corrupted shoegaze to experimental electronica, post-hardcore to Indian classical, these are the shows that should be on your radar.