A Thousand Splendid Suns stage adaptation casting announced for tour

Casting has been announced for the upcoming stage adaptation of of A Thousand Splendid Suns.

The show will have its European premiere at Birmingham Rep, marking Roxana Silbert's final production as artistic director of the theatre before she heads to Hampstead.

The cast includes Waleed Akhtar, Pal Aron, Sujaya Dasgupta, Munir Khairdin, Naveed Khan, Mollie Lambert, Shala Nyx, Liza Zahra and Amina Zia.

Ursula Rani Sarma is adapting Khaled Hosseini's novel, which was published in 2007 after his bestselling book The Kite Runner.

The story is set in 1992 in a war-torn Afghanistan and follows three generations of women.

Rani Sarma said: "This play is about the immense strength and endurance of women and how they can survive tremendous suffering to keep those they love alive. It is also about how even in the darkest of times and places, love can grow and sustain the human spirit beyond all pain and hard-ship. It's about friendship and loyalty, courage and selflessness, grief and violence."

After Birmingham, the show will tour to Hackney Empire, Northern Stage and Nuffield Theatres.

The Kite Runner was adapted for the stage by Matthew Spangler and opened at Nottingham Playhouse in 2014.