Cast and Creative Team Set For World Premiere of FIREWING By David Pearson

Hampstead Theatre has announced the full cast and creative team for the World Premiere of David Pearson's debut play Firewing. Directed by Alice Hamilton it plays Hampstead Downstairs from Friday 17 April until Saturday 23 May, with a press night on Monday 27 April.

Firewing is a striking new play about connection, artistry and control. 

“You don't just take a photograph, don't just take it. You form it, you light it, you frame it, you mould it. You, you... Create it.”

In a dilapidated cabin by a lake, deep in the English countryside, Tim, a celebrated wildlife photographer, prepares to welcome Marcus, the latest in a failed string of apprentices. Despite his lack of knowledge or experience, Tim quickly sees there's something different about this one - he just needs to figure out if Marcus can be trusted with the professional techniques he's spent decades developing.

Together, they endeavour to find and photograph the elusive Firewing - a task that will test the lengths they're willing to go for something that may be just beyond their reach. It's said that a picture tells a thousand words, but for Tim and Marcus every shot becomes a question: of what we see, what we choose to capture, and what we leave out of frame... 

Charlie Beck (Gentlemen, Arcola; The Breach, Hampstead Theatre) will play Marcus and Gerard Horan (Jerusalem, Royal Court / West End; Detectorists, BBC) will play Tim.

Alice Hamilton, Associate Director and Head of Artistic Development at Hampstead Theatre says of the play;

“With Firewing, David has given us a rich and delicate portrait of hope, frailty and the power of human connection. It is a play that is bursting with heart and humour and I feel incredibly lucky to be bringing it to the stage with these two brilliant actors.”

David Pearson graduated from Hampstead Theatre's INSPIRE programme for emerging playwrights in 2025.