A Thousand Splendid Suns - A Record-Breaking Success

Earlier this year, we presented a powerful new production of A Thousand Splendid Suns with our co-producers Nottingham Playhouse and Leeds Playhouse and now we are thrilled to share that the acclaimed production has broken box office records and become one of our highest attended drama productions… EVER!

Based on Khaled Hosseini’s gripping and powerful novel, this sell-out production was hailed “an essential piece of modern theatre” (What’sOnStage) and “a triumph of theatrical storytelling” (Best of Birmingham) and received rave reviews from public and press and daily standing ovations when it opened to Birmingham audiences on Fri 11 Apr, with over 19,000 audience members coming to see the production during its 3-week run.

The production then went on to play to audiences in Leeds and Nottingham, attracting more than 14,500 and 10,000 audiences at each venue respectively. In total, therefore, the production, which was made here in Birmingham, has been enjoyed by over 43,000 people across the UK!

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Two actors stand on stage in traditional Afghani attire, one actress holds her arms out expressively. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Two actors share an emotional moment as the female actor touches her man to the male actors cheek. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Two actors stand in the middle of a stage, one is heavily pregnant and the other points to something in the distance. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Fog and spotlight effects enhance the dramatic atmosphere as militiamen can be seen patrolling with guns. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Two actresses sit in the foreground decorated with Afghani carpets and patterns. Two actors stand in the background, having an intense conversation. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Two actors wearing tradional Afghan attire have an intense conversation as one actress holds a bad. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Two actors on stage in traditional Afghan attire, one actor places an engagement ring onto the finger of the other actor. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Three actors on stage in a theatrical performance, one standing with an expressive gesture holding a book, another bent over a suitcase, and the third observing, set against a patterned backdrop. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Person in traditional Afghani attire sitting on a patterned rug with a contemplative expression. — Photography by Ellie Kurttz

Khaled Hosseini’s international best-selling novel is the powerful story of three generations of women discovering strength in unity and finding hope in the unlikeliest of places. Set in a war-torn 1992 Afghanistan, A Thousand Splendid Suns is the unflinching story of survival, resilience and strength of human spirit. It is just one of a number of our recent productions that have embodied the theatre’s commitment to bringing South and Central Asian stories to its stages, with other recent productions including Marriage Material, Community, Bhangra Nation and Tartuffe.

Birmingham Rep Chief Executive, Rachael Thomas said:

The audience response to our production of A Thousand Splendid Suns was incredibly pleasing for us, with every performance sold out and our waiting lists at maximum capacity. Our aim at The Rep is to tell stories that are relevant to all the people of Birmingham, and we were thrilled that this production resonated so deeply with our audiences and garnered such wonderfully positive comments after every performance. We attracted a lot of visitors who had never previously been to The Rep, many of them afterwards telling us how much they had enjoyed the whole experience. As a producing theatre, our hugely talented team built everything in the show – from the beautifully painted set, to the props and costumes – in our own workshops here at The Rep. This production really proved that The Rep is a theatre for the whole city and all its residents.”