Jermyn Street Theatre and Glass Mask Theatre have announced full casting for the UK premiere of Simon Stephens’ A Slow Fire, which opens in London this August following its premiere in Dublin earlier this year.
Directed by Glass Mask Theatre Artistic Director Rex Ryan, the production runs from 20 August to 26 September 2026, with an official press night on 25 August.
Ross Gaynor, Fionn Ó Loingsigh and Ian Toner will reprise their roles from the original Dublin production, playing Ashton, Presley and Reece respectively.
Set years after an apocalypse, A Slow Fire follows Ashton and Reece as they survive in a bunker on the edge of an imagined city. Sustained by stories from the world before disaster struck, their fragile existence is disrupted when a mysterious stranger arrives, raising questions about hope, truth and survival.
Described as part thriller and part exploration of the human soul, the play is the latest work from Tony and Olivier Award-winning playwright Simon Stephens, whose credits include Punk Rock, Sea Wall, Heisenberg and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Director Rex Ryan said, “What a special opportunity to bring this Pandora’s box of a play to the intrepid Jermyn Street Theatre. Simon Stephens is one of the most extraordinary artists working in theatre today and his relationship with Glass Mask has become very important to me and all of our collaborators. I hope for this to be an opportunity to introduce London to our brand of intense firebrand acting, showcase our commitment to new work and welcome three of Ireland’s great theatre actors to the London stage.”
Gaynor’s stage credits include The Magic Glasses, The United States vs Ulysses and Piaf, while his screen work includes Normal People and Vikings: Valhalla.
Ó Loingsigh has appeared in productions including Three Sisters, Conversations After Sex, Portia Coughlan and The Plough and the Stars, alongside television roles in The Rainmaker, Witness Number 3 and Tin Star.
Toner’s theatre credits include Punk Rock, Romeo and Juliet and Look Back in Anger, while his screen work includes The Dry, Smother and Vikings: Valhalla.
The creative team for the production includes costume designer Migle Ryan and lighting designer Jess Fitzsimons Kane.
A Slow Fire continues Jermyn Street Theatre’s commitment to presenting both contemporary new writing and rediscovered classics, with the intimate 70-seat venue bringing the acclaimed Irish production to London audiences for the first time.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
