THE Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, best-selling story of the forbidden friendship between the child of a World War II concentration camp commandant and a Jewish boy, is coming to The Lowry.

It's the emotive tale of an unlikely friendship between two innocent boys. Set during World War II, the story is seen through the eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with Shmuel, a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence.

John Boyne’s 2006 novel The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas has sold millions of copies, appeared at number 1 on The New York Times’ bestseller list and was adapted into a feature film in 2008.

Speaking of the stage adaptation, John said; “Children need to be made aware of matters of racism and the hatred of difference. I didn’t want the novel to sound didactic but I’d like the young people in the audience to realise that these issues don’t just occur in the big world but in their inner world as well.”

* The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is at The Lowry from April 15-18 at 7pm, with matinees on Thursday and Saturday at 2pm. The show is suitable for children aged 11 and over and the box office is on 0843 208 6000 or thelowry.com.