AN emotive tale set during World War II about an unlikely friendship between two innocent boys is certain to tug the heart strings of audiences.

John Boyne’s highly acclaimed and best-selling international novel, The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, will be appearing at Malvern’s Festival Theatre next week from Tuesday, March 10 to Saturday, March 14, following its world stage premiere at Chichester in February.

It’s a story is seen through the eyes of Bruno, the eight-year-old son of the commandant at a concentration camp, whose forbidden friendship with a Jewish boy on the other side of the camp fence has startling and devastating consequences.

Bruno's friendship with Shmuel takes him from innocence to revelation, revealing the poetic irony that through a child’s eye everyone can appear the same.

John Boyne’s 2006 novel has sold millions of copies around and has appeared on many bestseller lists including the New York Times where it reached number one.

It was made into a Miramax feature film which was released in 2008.

The book has been adapted for the stage by Angus Jackson, and this national tour is through the Children’s Touring Partnership, which is led by independent producer Fiery Angel, Chichester Festival Theatre and a consortium of major regional theatres. The partnership have previously toured Goodnight Mister Tom (which won the Olivier Award for Best Entertainment and Family) and Swallows and Amazons.

Their spokesman, Edward Snape, commented: “The Children's Touring Partnership aims to produce and tour innovative, ambitious and engaging large scale theatrical productions for children and families. After two years of development we are very excited by this new commission which will bring this extraordinary story to life on stage for the first time”.

Born in Dublin, John Boyne has published nine novels for adults, including his most recent, A History of Loneliness (2014). As well as The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, he has written three other novels for younger readers: Noah Barleywater Runs Away (2010), The Terrible Thing That Happened to Barnaby Brocket (2012) and Stay Where You Are And Then Leave (2013).

This world stage tour premiere of The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas should be perfect for children over the age of 11 and promises to be a deeply moving and thought provoking production.