Roxana Silbert is directing the epic theatrical production. Silbert, who has long been drawn to stories that give a voice to the unheard and overshadowed, believes this narrative holds profound relevance today within Afghanistan and more broadly.

Playwright Ursula Rani Sarma adapted Khaled Hosseini’s acclaimed novel for the stage, creating a play that retains the novel’s emotional depth and potency.

“It’s the most beautifully written book. And I loved that it was two women at the centre of it. I just feel like the story of women in Afghanistan does not get the focus it deserves. Given what’s going on now, it feels like it’s under the radar. And so it felt like a really important story to tell.”

At the heart of the story are two women, Mariam and Laila, who are brought together by unexpected and challenging circumstances and united by resilience and solidarity.
Mariam and Laila’s journey spans decades and captures the personal cost of war, oppression, patriarchy, and survival. Yet, amidst the darkness, their relationship becomes a beacon of light.

“We go from 1989 to 2001; it’s quite a range of time in the play. And so it tells the history of Afghanistan, but it tells it through personal relationships between these two women and with their common husband.

“It’s an incredibly compassionate book and play about what happens in that family. And that family is like a metaphor for what’s happening in a wider cultural context. I find that the relationship between the political and the personal is very moving; those things are very connected.”

Silbert reflected on her approach to directing the play today compared to 2019, given the current situation in Afghanistan.

“We have a lot of Afghan input into the production through the creative team and casting. So it feels much more connected in a way.

“There is a lot of humour in it because the people in it are funny, but also, the way people often deal with crisis is through humour, so that still exists in the play, but it’s also got a much darker edge.”

The play also highlights how Islam can be understood and “expressed” in diverse ways, challenging one-dimensional views of faith and its expression.

“Because of the period in which it is set, faith comes in many colours. Everyone is Muslim, but the way they interpret the faith is very different depending on which character’s eyes you see it through. So what I think it does is examine faith, 360 degrees.”

The play’s final scene unfolds in 2001, 24 years ago. Yet, as Silbert asserted, its themes and messages still “resonate.”

When asked what she hopes Afghan women and wider audiences will take from the play, Silbert expressed a desire for Afghan women to feel heard and for broader audiences to gain awareness of Afghanistan’s past and present realities.

“I hope they feel their voices are being heard and that the stories of their mothers and grandmothers are being validated, that it shines a spotlight on Afghanistan in a way that might make people curious to explore further and find out what’s happening now.

“This is an incredibly emotive play; it really touches people, and with any pieces of theatre, you want to move people, transform them. You want to give them a way of empathising with people they might not have thought of empathising with.”

Silbert spent much of her twenties in Birmingham and previously served as Birmingham Rep’s Artistic Director. Returning to the city and The Rep has thrilled her.