King's Head Theatre
Playing until 9th February 2025
Photo credit: Geraint Lewis

Review {AD-PR Gifted}
Based on a real-life Cold War story, this stage version of Firebird is an adaptation of the film by Peeter Rebane and Tom Prior. It follows a young soldier, Sergey (Theo Walker) as he falls in love with Roman (Robert Eades), a fighter pilot. Taking place during a time in which homosexuality is a crime under the Soviet regime, the two keep their relationship a secret until they go their separate ways when Sergey leaves military service and goes on to study acting in Moscow. A year passes and Roman has taken up a desk job in the military, turns up to Moscow and asks Sergey to move in with him. All seems well until their mutual friend Luisa (Sorcha Kennedy) arrives at their apartment and reveals the fact that Roman and she are married.
Richard Hough’s script sets the stage for a love triangle among our three main characters, creating a plausible eventuality that Sorcha would end up with either Sergey and Roman. However, this veil of misdirection is quickly dropped as the two men develop an intimate relationship. The story explores the taboo that is homosexuality in the Soviet Union, the length one has to go in order to avoid prosecution and at the same time, the excitement that comes with secrets. Furthermore, it is also about the inner turmoil of been torn between one’s desire and keeping up with the façade. Hough and Director Owen Lewis have done a tremendous job with this version of Roman’s character, creating a duality that showcases his love for Sergey and his struggle to perform his duty as a husband and a soldier.
Among the three main characters, Roman is the one with the most depth and the one that adds weight to the narrative. Even though his life revolves around both love and duty, one could interpret that it is freedom that he desires the most and what led him down the path to leave both Sergey and Luisa behind as he volunteers to embark on a mission that will take him back to the sky once more.
Although this adds layer to Roman’s character and the story, the way in which it is portrayed does not make it immediate apparent and the script appears to tiptoe around this topic until near the end. It would have been beneficial to see more of Roman’s hesitations leading up to this, torn between love and responsibilities, and how he yearns for something different. Instead, a scene that somewhat resembles a soap opera plays out between Sergey and Roman after Luisa reveals that she is pregnant. The way in which this is portrayed undermines the eventual narrative, seriousness of the scenario and seems to suggest Roman didn’t put much thought into his actions and remained oblivious to most of the events around him, and this does little to connect him to his decision to go on a military mission.
In the second half the play, he is described as absent by Luisa and spends all of his free time with Sergey. From this alone, one could interpret that Roman had made up his mind and that his happiness lies with Sergey. However, knowing the decision he goes on to make, this is simply not the case and the story would have benefited from laying some more ground work leading up to the final revelation.
The exchange between Luisa and Sergey at the end is among the most powerful scenes of this play, wrapping up loose ends and forces the two characters to confront their respective vulnerabilities and ultimately, acceptance to everything that has transpired. Here, Kennedy delivers a powerful performance as a strong-minded and grieving character. Despite her anger towards Roman and Sergey, she also showcases acceptance. In this brief moment, there is palpable connection between Walker and Kennedy, joined together by a man that they both loved.
This reimagined adaptation of Firebird highlights the intimacy of two men, and their struggles to balance love and duty. Although it is made abundantly clear that homosexuality is illegal under the Soviet regime, the way it is portrayed seems to show that Roman and Sergey’s love for each other is the world’s worst kept secret, undermining the concept of forbidden love and the seriousness of the narrative.
Creatives
Writer: Richard Hough
Based on the memoir of Sergey Fetisov and the screenplay by Peeter Rebane and Tom Prior
Director: Owen Lewis
Designer: Gregor Donnelly
Lighting Designer: Clancy Flynn
Sound Designer and Composer: Jac Cooper
Intimacy Coordinator: Jess Tucker Boyd
Fight Director: MC_Combat (Maisie Carter and Emily Evans)
Casting Director: Marc Frankum CDG
Producer: Seabright Live Ltd
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