Drawing on a true-life Cold War story, Firebird, a new play by Richard Hough based on the memoir by Sergey Fetisov and screenplay by Peeter Rebane and Tom Prior, will run from 9 January-9 February, 2025 at London’s King’s Head Theatre.
Firebird follows a handsome, soulful young soldier who embarks on a clandestine affair with a charismatic fighter pilot on an Air Force Base in Soviet-occupied Estonia at the height of 1970s Communist rule. The story comes to the stage for the first time after an acclaimed multi award-winning 2021 film version starring Tom Prior that premiered at BFI Flare: London’s LGBTQI+ Film Festival, and the publication of the English translation of the original memoir.
Directed by Owen Lewis, the cast comprises of Robert Eades, best known for playing Mo Dix in Bad Education, Nigel Hastings, Sorcha Kennedy and Theo Walker.
Producer James Seabright, says, “I’m excited to be marking the first birthday of the new King’s Head Theatre with the world premiere stage version of Firebird, which won such widespread acclaim as a film by Peeter Rebane and Tom Prior that I felt compelled to contact them and was delighted to secure the stage rights, allowing me to commission this adaptation by Richard Hough. His play chillingly evokes the Soviet Union in the Cold War, in a powerful and moving true story of forbidden gay love brought to life by a cast of four in Owen Lewis’ production.”
A post show Q&A will take place after the 6pm performance on Sunday 19 January – hosted by Terri Paddock, free for ticket holders attending that performance.
Tickets here.
