David Pearson, a 2025 graduate of Hampstead Theatre's INSPIRE programme for emerging playwrights, delivers an engaging debut with Firewing, a play exploring wildlife photography and the power of art to ground or change us. Tim (Gerard Horan) and Marcus (Charlie Beck) meet in a remote hideaway, a dilapidated lakeside cabin in the English countryside, evocatively created by Good Teeth.
The play starts slowly – Pearson's lavatorial humour feels unnecessary – though once his writing settles we are drawn into the characters' intergenerational conflicts. Initially the pair appear completely at odds, but gradually we learn why Tim, an award-winning wildlife photographer, has chosen Marcus as his apprentice despite his total lack of experience or passion for the subject.
Tim tells Marcus about the elusive Firewing (a bird rarely seen outside its Siberian habitat) and the shot that made his name. At times his enthusiasm for his craft slips into lecture, accompanied by a slide show. Meanwhile, we learn Marcus is concealing his true intentions, though something in him shifts as Tim's difficult past strikes a chord and weakens his resolve.
The drama simmers without ever quite reaching the boil, but it's well acted and director Alice Hamilton deftly handles the intimate staging and steady raising of stakes. Although Pearson's understated writing makes the final twist and its execution feel a touch melodramatic, Firewing remains a heartfelt celebration of photography, transformative moments and the people who inspire change. I'm interested to see what he does next.
Until May 23 at hampsteadtheatre.com
