THE stage adaptation of Khaled Hosseini’s international bestselling novel and film, The Kite Runner, is coming to Salisbury Playhouse from Monday to Saturday.

This tale of friendship, father-son relationships and redemption is set against rapidly changing events in war-torn Afghanistan.

It follows the story of two friends Hassan and Amir, who grow up together, sharing a passion for the popular tradition of kite fighting.

But when a terrible incident rips their friendship apart, the young men start on new paths that will change their lives forever.

This award-winning production spans cultures and continents, as one man seeks to atone for a past mistake.

The Kite Runner, published in 2003, was Kabul-born Khaled Hosseini’s first novel. It became a bestseller across the world and has since been published in 70 countries.

The Kite Runner is set against a backdrop of tumultuous events, from the fall of Afghanistan's monarchy, through the Soviet invasion, the exodus of refugees to Pakistan and the United States, and the rise of the Taliban regime, The play was first performed at Nottingham Playhouse last year and is coming to Salisbury Playhouse as part of a national tour.

Artistic director at Nottingham Playhouse, Giles Croft, who directs The Kite Runner, said: “The power and relevance of The Kite Runner doesn’t diminish and I have no doubt that this will prove to be a timeless story.

“I found reading The Kite Runner an immensely powerful experience, and so I was delighted to discover Matthew Spangler’s honest, imaginative and theatrical adaptation of such an enduring tale of hope and redemption.

“We have inevitably become bound up in the tragedies and politics of this most recent Afghan war and the experiences of Western troops.

“It is easy to forget that the Afghans are a people with a complex and rich culture with their own story to tell and that story won't stop, or cease to be relevant, when our troops come home.”

Ben Turner, who appeared as Nurse Jay Faldren in BBC’s Casualty and Louis XV in Doctor Who, plays Amir.

The Kite Runner runs at Salisbury Playhouse from Monday, November 17 to Saturday, November 22. Tickets are selling fast but some are available from the box office on 01722 320333 or salisburyplay house.com.