★★★★

“a beautifully told love story”

Firebird by Richard Hough tells the story of Sergey Fetisov during the 1970s in occupied Estonia, and how he fell in love with fighter pilot Roman Matvejev. Due to homophobic attitudes in the soviet regime – still present today – they’re ability to keep their love secret is challenging and ends up splitting Roman and Sergey’s life into pieces.

Hough succeeds in adapting the previously made screenplay of the same name of this story into a well crafted and succinct 90 minute stage play. The pacing of the action is good and doesn’t linger on any unnecessary details. Immediately introducing the three central characters via a play boxing fight before a radio recording of the news at the time, established both the key points of the characters’ relationship dynamics, as well as the context of the time period. Despite the play being based on Sergey’s memoir; Roman was framed as the central character – depicting how he was likely central to Sergey’s life. Roman follows Sergey through his life throughout the story, but it is always Roman who leads the way. Robert Eades plays Roman with an incredible sense of optimism wrapped around a straight backed matter-of-fact and blunt approach. This contrasts with Theo Walker’s Sergey, who is often nervous and confused, yet innately curious and controversial. I did find I often struggled to see romantic or sexual chemistry from the pair. The initial kiss felt stiff and out of nowhere due to not seeing any flirting or hints to their attraction previously. In the end, however, their love is believable and creates some wonderfully touching moments.

Another key component in Roman’s wild affairs is Luisa Jannsen, played by Sorcha Kennedy. Kennedy is incredibly engaging in her performance, I was often drawn closely to her eyes and found a whole world of truth and emotion deep within them. Nigel Hastings also stands out as Colonel Alexei Kuznestov, with excellent focus, poignant intention and a flare with the rhythm of the text. All are complemented by Owen Lewis’ direction which manages to make an intimate staging feel massive with an incredible use of space, that manages to glide through different locations and times with ease. Clancy Flynn’s lighting design must also be praised at this point, often fading between warm or cool tones to indicate different locations based on their atmospheric tone. There was also one sequence where various colourful lights were used to portray fireworks, which then quickly transitioned to an explosion. A subtle yet effective portrayal of the events moving forward. The same can be said of Gregor Donnelly’s design, with the use of a simple set that leaves the stage pretty much bare asides a few pieces of furniture: two stage-like wooden blocks, a few chairs, a desk. All of which are transported throughout the piece as and when needed, achieving the same goal of making the intimate staging feel larger than it is.

Overall, Firebird is a beautifully told love story that shows how happiness can be found in human connection in spite of all the challenges put against it.

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story”

Looking for Giants is a show about obsessions, fantasies and pure thrill. Three different men invade the narrator’s life. The setting changes, but the situation doesn’t. Excitement, potential, inevitable let down, then repeat. Isn’t that what life is about though? The people that swoop in and change your life forever? All the marks they leave on you, while you try to make sense of something that will never make perfect sense? Because human relationships are too complicated for that.

Our protagonist, or narrator, is an undergraduate student. A very vulnerable age where the threshold of adulthood, with all the freedom and terror it brings with it, looms ahead. On a stage that has only the essentials, a chair and a mic stand, Abby McCann comes in and starts sharing her innermost fantasies. Little by little, we notice a pattern unravelling, in a way that makes the storytelling feel almost like a raw confession. Firstly, there is the university tutor, who appears to be indifferent, but still somehow pulls her in and makes her want to go to sort of battle against him. Secondly, an older man on a dating app, which prompts a purely sexual chain of interactions through texts. Thirdly, a university student who, after a long time of teasing, turns into a mere fantasy of what could have been. All of them excite her and tickle her imagination to the point of turning her world upside down. But in the end, she stands in front of us to point out that it’s the emotional whirlwind that matters to her. She’s not bitter nor does she feel rejected. She ponders on what came before and is filled with adrenaline at the thought of what will come next.

The male and female dynamic is important to note, how the female narrator keeps putting herself on a lower, even weaker position compared to her male love interests. One could say it’s intentional, a conscious preference; other could argue it’s too much of a coincidence to be unrelated to how society enforces the image of women as the submissive beings, in a sexual and not sexual way. But there’s no denying that the thrill of the unknown, or rather the barely known, can be relatable outside of any gender discussions.

Skylar Turnbull Hurd’s lighting design playfully highlights parts of the conversations the protagonist has with the male characters of her stories. At times, it get confusing and almost chaotic, though not to the point of distracting us from what’s happening onstage. The mic creates an interesting layer and distinction between the different characters, while the rest of the sound design, by Sarah Spencer, is minimal and to the point.

Abby McCann, who is also the dramaturg of the show, doesn’t let the daunting nature of performing unaccompanied stop her from bringing some wonderful energy and colour to the character. Along with writer and director Cesca Echlin, they could have dug deeper to let the character’s risky and edgy personality shine even more.

It’s an intriguing play that doesn’t leave anything to the audience’s imagination. Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story, even if its explosive and thrilling nature could be accentuated more.

FIREBIRD

King’s Head Theatre

★★★★

“a beautifully told love story”

FIREBIRD

King’s Head Theatre

Reviewed on 21st January 2025

by David Robinson

Photography by Geraint Lewis

Previously reviewed at this venue:

FIREBIRD

FIREBIRD

FIREBIRD

LOOKING FOR GIANTS

King’s Head Theatre

★★★

“Beautiful language comes together with dark fantasies to create a relatable and comedic story”