To call Khaled Hosseini’s debut novel a challenge for a director or an adapter would be an understatement.

“The story of the play covers 40 years and two continents,” says director Giles Croft as he rehearses for The Kite Runner’s UK debut at the Nottingham Playhouse.

“It’s a properly epic story – but the adapter has dealt with it really creatively and honestly. I hope we have achieved the same thing with the production.”

Matthew Spangler’s 2009 play has only previously been produced in the US and Canada. This production debuted at Nottingham Playhouse, where Croft is artistic director. It has been taken to heart by the city, which has named Hosseini’s book as its City Reads subject this year.

After its Brighton Festival run, the production is moving to co-producers Liverpool Everyman And Playhouse.

“The story is in part about children’s experience,” says Croft. “With Michael Rosen as the guest artistic director it made a pretty good connection with Brighton Festival – it’s a real privilege to be performing there.”

The original novel, which was made into a film in 2007, is told from the point of view of well-to-do Pashtun Amir. As a young boy Amir witnesses an horrific act committed on his childhood friend Hassan by the bully Assef while they are out kite-fighting, but does nothing to intervene.

Struck by guilt he ensures that his one-time friend isn’t around much longer to remind him of his cowardice.

“It is really essential that one feels conflicted about Amir as a character,” says Croft. “For a lot of the book, film and play you are out of sympathy with his behaviour.

“By the end of the play he’s not so much looking for the audience’s sympathy but for their understanding – the job of the story is to understand him as he tries to do something to compensate for his guilt.

“I am sure we have all done something we regret – not necessarily what he has done, but we all carry guilt with us.”

Casting for the role was a tough job.

“A lot of people came to me saying they didn’t think they were right for him,” says Croft.

“He needs particular qualities – he needs to be vulnerable and able to hit a dark place, but confident enough to carry a story for two hours. It is a demanding role, but Ben Turner is fantastic.”

The director and cast have spent time with the Afghan community in Nottingham, with the cast encouraged to draw on their own experiences as first or second generation immigrants to the UK.

“Although we are not being culturally specific, we have tried to create a cultural complexity within the play,” says Croft.

“Afghanistan itself is a number of different ethnic groups, so we have approached the casting of the play with a similar feel.

“Part of the play is performed in dialect, so we have had lessons in Dari, Afghanistan’s national language.

“It’s not a story about the Taliban, or the post 9/11 invasion – it’s a story about the effect of international politics on a country, and the motivations for people to emigrate. Half the story is in the US and half is in Afghanisation.”

To create both locations, Croft has worked with designer Barney George on a series of projected images and film sequences to help tell the story.

Another addition to the atmosphere is tabla player Hanif Khan, whose music plays a part in the show, accompanied by other instrumentation and voices.

And the important kite battles are recreated using indoor kites.

“They are things of great beauty,” says Croft. “I don’t think people will have ever seen anything like them before.”

  • The Kite Runner is at Theatre Royal Brighton, New Road, from Tuesday, May 21, to Saturday, May 25. Starts 7.30pm, 2.30pm matinees Thursday and Saturday, tickets from £10. Call 01273 709709