Review: FIRE FIRE, Arcola Theatre
Photo credit: Mark Senior
Fire Fire is John Webber’s brand-new one act play, directed by Jennifer Tang, about climate protest and unlikely encounters. This emotional rollercoaster of a story is currently taking place at the Arcola Theatre’s Studio 2 until early October before embarking on a UK tour throughout the rest of Autumn.
After meeting at a park where all Paige wishes to do is use the public toilet, she encounters Eddie who is instantly stubborn towards her after she blocked local roads in a climate protest on the day of his brother’s memorial. After this initial conflict-ridden encounter, the play follows climate activist Paige (Gabrielle Brooks) and retired and grieving Eddie (Chris Simmons) as they encounter each other time and time again and, by chance or fate, the pair grow unexpectedly closer to each other as each scene progresses.
At its core, this is a serious play about contemporary issues, yet Webber’s script is so cleverly crafted that audiences can’t quite help themselves laughing throughout scenes when witnessing particularly awkward encounters and misunderstandings between these two characters. It is of great merit for Brooks and Simmons to be able to hold the audience’s attention so fully to tackle the weight of a script about climate crisis and responsibility, whilst also breaking up the tension to find the surprisingly comedic moments and never letting the comedic relief undermine the importance behind Fire Fire’s larger political messages.
The characters of Paige and Eddie are intentionally set out to be polar opposites from the opening scene, yet despite audience members’ own background and opinions, we find a deep sense of empathy for both characters. We understand that they are both equally flawed, but they are trying to make sense of the barriers between personal and political turmoil and there is so much more than surface level stereotypes to the way they are written and brought to the stage by the actors and creative team alike.
Each actor understands the depth of their character’s trauma and is able to deliver raw emotion throughout sensitive dialogue and pivotal moments of plot. Eddie’s character trajectory is particularly gripping and Simmons identifies the intricacies of Eddie’s backstory and brings them to the fore whilst establishing believable connections with Paige in a rather father-daughter style dynamic. This isn’t just a cliché play about the importance of saving the planet, it is also a show about loneliness, connection, community building, and grief. We start off feeling awkward atmosphere radiating off initial encounters between Eddie and Paige and end up rooting for them, curious as to what situation they will bump into each other next and heartbroken to witness the complex difficulties they must face along the way.
Fire Fire is certainly a memorable theatrical experience commencing in conflict, ending in connection, fuelled by climate change, packed with cleverly crafted characters and laced with comedy.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Heidi Downing
Fire Fire plays at London’s Arcola Theatre until 3 Oct, with further info here.
