š Firebird
š King's Head Theatre, 115 Upper Street, London, N1 1QNĀ
š Saturday 18th January 2025
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THE MUST-SEE SHOW OF THE YEAR
Set on an Air Force Base in 1970s Soviet-occupied Estonia during the height of Communist rule, this true-life story set to the backdrop of the Cold War is an exceptional piece of theatre which is having its premiere at the King's Head Theatre in Islington.
Based on the memoir of a young Russian man serving his two year mandatory conscription who falls in love with a maverick fighter pilot, FIREBIRD is a story of friendship, love and courage and is genuinely one of the best things I have seen on any stage for a while.
The juxtaposition of this secret love existing amidst the horror of the ongoing war is somehow poetic and the story is told with grace and dignity and the way in which it transcends rank and excepted norms is just beautiful.
I always say that no matter what genre of theatre you are watching, it is the central story that matters the most and the writing here by Richard Hough is remarkable. The narrative is strong and captures the audience from the very beginning and I didn't want the performance to end.
When the glorious writing was married with the phenomenal acting from the entire cast and placed in the intimate setting of the King's Head Theatre, true magic happened. It was as if I had personally become part of the story as I felt emotionally connected to the characters in a way that is very rare indeed. There were times when I genuinely forgot I was watching a performance and just lived in the moment as I bathed in the beauty of what was unfolding in front of me.
The level of acting on display from the entire cast was truly sensational, with not a weak link amongst them. I was in awe of the talent on the stage but I have to say that Theo Walker gave the standout performance for me. The way he seemed to unapologetically bare his soul in front of me whilst giving one of the most honest performances I have ever seen was just extraordinary. He was fully committed and living in the moment and I couldn't take my eyes off him whenever he was on the stage. I'm already excited to see what's next from this fantastic performer.
Robert Eades completely embodied every nuance of his character and he had great shade between the professional and personal sides of his being, displaying the inner turmoil this brought with utter believability. Sorcha Kennedy gave an emotional performance and you could really see and appreciate the love she had for the other characters. Nigel Hastings performed with heart and likability throughout, rounding off the perfect cast for this piece.
I cannot praise this show enough. It instantly engages you and takes you willingly on its journey. It is compelling, heartwarming, sexy and moving all at once, and there's something about it which feels so poignant as it grabs you by the heart.
It may only be January but FIREBIRD is already a strong contender for my play of the year. I will have to see something incredibly special to beat it. This is a standard of theatre that is hard to match, but this company seem to have done it so effortlessly, although I'm sure there has been a lot of hard work gone in to creating this.
It's not a word I often use in my reviews but this production is perfection and is not to be missed. It is an honour to have experienced such a triumph of creativity. This show deserves to have a big future.
FIREBIRDĀ continues performances at London's King's Head TheatreĀ until Sunday 9th February. Click here to check availability and to book tickets.
Neill Kovacic-Clarke
All views are my own and I pride myself on being honest, fair and free from influence. Theatre is subjective and it is important to remember that all views expressed are just those of one person.
CAST LIST:
Robert Eades as 2nd Lt. Roman Matvejev; Nigel Hastings as Col. Alexei Kuznetsov; Sorcha Kennedy as Luisa Jannsen; Theo Walker as Pte. Sergey Serebrennikov
RUNNING TIME (approx):
1 hour 30 minutes, with no interval
AGE GUIDELINE:
16+
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