Firewing

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 string of failed 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... This edition was published to coincide with the production at Hampstead Theatre in April 2026.

David Pearson is a graduate of Hampstead Theatre's INSPIRE programme. Firewing is his debut play.