The Fifth Step at Soho Place
“Show, don’t tell” is the preferred approach in great storytelling – actions often reveal character more powerfully than excessive lyricism. But when it comes to a play where two, and only two, actors are on stage, dialogue inevitably becomes its backbone. David Ireland delivers exactly that in The Fifth Step, hitting Soho Place audiences with the punchy wit and energetic rhythm of his script. The Fifth Step, from the National Theatre of Scotland, Neal Street Productions and Playful Productions, premiered to acclaim less than a year ago at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. The show, inspired by the playwright’s own experience, has been revised and makes its London debut at the West End’s newest venue, with original cast member Jack Lowden joined by Martin Freeman, returning to the stage after six years. Coated in coarse prose, the dense discourse unfolds as a ferocious, uproarious battle between two men – each on his own path to becoming a “good man”.
Luka (Lowden) has joined Alcoholics Anonymous and is now at the stage where he needs a sponsor to guide him through his recovery. He chooses James (Freeman), 25 years sober, a man who presents himself as accomplished and grounded with a family. The AA programme set up 12 steps, with the fourth and fifth steps requiring an honest accounting of one’s past wrongs and the release of accompanying shame. The pair talk about everything, from family emotional baggage to masturbation, from spiritual awakenings to moral complexities in relationships. But as Luka approaches the confessional fifth step, friction arises in his rapport with James, fuelled by rumours.
The opening is unexpected and out of context – some might say even illogical. Yet it’s precisely this succession of unpredictable, counter-conventional beats that defines Ireland’s signature style. The drama wears the clothes of comedy, unravelling contradictions and moral quandaries at the heart of its two protagonists. What at first appears to be a simple generational face-off – with the newcomer seemingly the confused, mortally uncertain young lad – soon exposes the fragilities and challenges of the elder. Staged in the round, theatregoers witness the tough lesson life constantly reminds us of: no matter how experienced we believe ourselves to be, we will always have to keep ourselves in check, and relationships are never easy. These are deep human exchanges, steeped in suspicion, urgency, and a shared hope for redemption.
Delivered like a self-aware stream of consciousness, Luka’s lines are bullets of hilarity and blunt matter-of-factness. With his baggy clothes and jittery energy, his perplexed questioning is palpable. At the beginning, Freeman’s physicality appears somewhat rigid, as though not yet fully settled into the role, but he gradually melds midway through into the perfect iron antagonist. They are so well matched that, after a while, each line turns into a sharp repartee, building to a rapid escalation of tension in the final stretch.
Scene transitions are marked by light shifts and subtle music alerting to a change of day. The arena is otherwise left bare for the actors to fill in with their presence, a couple of chairs and a few cups of tea.
Tightly paced, The Fifth Step is emotionally textured, a compelling portrayal of a dramatic encounter between two fierce personalities.
Cristiana Ferrauti
Photos: Johan Persson
The Fifth Step is at Soho Place from 17th May until 26th July 2025. For further information or to book, visit the theatre’s website here.
Watch the trailer for The Fifth Step at Soho Place here:
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