The Fifth Step

Emmy, BAFTA and SAG Award winner Martin Freeman (Sherlock, The Hobbit, The Office) and Olivier Award-winner Jack Lowden (Slow Horses, Dunkirk, Fighting with my Family) star in the West End premiere of David Ireland’s The Fifth Step. Playing a strictly limited 11-week run at @sohoplace, this intimate portrayal of addiction and admission is not one to be missed.

★★★★ 'Jack Lowden compels in David Ireland’s new drama, which bangs onto the stage with his crackling, cackling talents flaring' The Observer

Step 1: honesty.
Step 2: faith.
Step 3: surrender.
Step 4: self-examination.

After many years in the 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, James agrees to become the sponsor of newcomer Luka. On the journey to sobriety, the pair bond over black coffee, trade stories, and build a fragile friendship out of their shared experiences.

On the cusp of Step 5, their conversations must turn to confessionals, with progress hinging on Luka revealing secrets that could lead back to alcohol. But it’s clear that James also has dangerous truths in his past, truths that threaten the trust on which both their recoveries depend.