There’s an issue, I’m sure, we’ve all had to juggle at least once in our lives: our passions or our responsibilities? But what if your passion is the love you have for your friend? And your responsibility is leading your Russian squadron into war during the 1970s? Which then would you choose?
Firebird at the King's Head Theatre is breaking into the hearts and minds of audiences with a beautiful start to its one-month run. Written by Richard Hough and directed by Owen Lewis, the play was based on the memoir, 'The Story of Roman', by Sergey Fetisov (played, in this theatrical production, by Theo Walker), and the screenplay written by Peter Rebane and Tom Prior (who played Sergey in the film adaptation). I was grateful to have received a copy of the memoir, "Firebird: The Story of Roman", at the opening night - which ultimately led me to realise how heartbreaking this play was about to be.
Split between a Soviet war base in occupied Estonia and a flat in central Moscow, the play centres around a group of three friends who are all members of the Red Army. Private Sergey Serebrennikov (Theo Walker), Second Lieutenant Roman Matvejev (Robert Eades) and Secretary to the Colonel, Luisa Jannsen (Sorcha Kennedy). One New Year's Eve, the trio attend a gala event at the base, where several drinks later, Sergey finds himself in Roman's quarters, caught up in a moment of passion.
The play tells the story of the love triangle between the three friends, a story I'm sure we've all heard before. But what makes this tale even more heartbreaking, is the fact it is simply true. It happened. We witness a man's greatest love, and greatest heartbreak, before our eyes.
Simple staging is something I really admire and love about productions at The King's Head Theatre and this is no different. Owen Lewis's direction was marvellous, as it never felt like a scene in a play. What I mean by that is, due to the semi-circle seating in the theatre, the actors were never flat on, they were living in the space, even if they had their backs to the audience at times, it was still perfectly directed - everyone had something to see.
I would also like to commend lighting designer Clancy Flynn and sound designer Jac Cooper for the beautiful fireworks moment towards the end. We did not need to see the war or the accident to know what had happened. Stunningly executed - a personal favourite moment.
Now to the acting.
Walker and Eades performing as Sergey and Roman, respectively, were a beautiful dynamic. There is one thing that even some of the world's best actors sometimes fall short of, and that is genuine chemistry. The two leading actors had no issues with that. Audience members could feel the passion and love they had for one another with their playful, yet striking, energy towards one another. Both actors gave wonderful performances that complemented each other perfectly.
Walker's dynamic approach to Sergey was very enjoyable as we were able to actively see layers of a human being. He did not seem to be acting, but instead, he was truly living in the circumstances. A performance Sergey Fetisov would be proud of, indeed.
Eades' portrayal of Roman's internal conflict was very interesting to watch, too. Not only was he conflicted between Sergey and Luisa, but also if he should continue to fight for the country that would punish him for being in love - the most human emotion of all. A stellar performance.
Nigel Hastings gave a rooted performance as Colonel Alexei Kuznetsov and offered a different perspective on the relationship between Sergey and Roman. His father-daughter dynamic with Luisa (Kennedy) was beautiful to watch - a brilliant performance.
I also want to shine a light on Kennedy's portrayal of Luisa and really commend her. The monologue at the end about boys who play their games in war was breathtaking and genuine. In all honesty, the most truthful delivery and acting I have seen in a while - completely in awe.
The entire play was wonderfully done, although I do wish it were longer if only to have the ending a bit slower. I felt as though a lot of events happened and some moments weren't as fleshed out as I'd hoped - purely based on how captivating it was and that I simply felt greedy to want more of it!
A tremendous performance by all!
Firebird at the King's Head Theatre until 9 February
Photo images: Geraint Lewis
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