“Jack Lowden wasn’t away from the stage for as long as his Slow Horses co-star Gary Oldman but it’s still a thrill to find him returning to theatre. Seen at the Edinburgh international festival last summer, The Fifth Step – his first play since 2018 – gives him a character both volatile and vulnerable in a two-hander bristling with playwright David Ireland’s signature style of knotty provocation and ribald comedy.
Lowden resumes the role of Luka, now playing opposite Martin Freeman as James (a part originated in Scotland by Sean Gilder). Luka is new to Alcoholics Anonymous and asks the older James to be his sponsor; the drama unfolds on the verge of the confessional stage in AA’s 12-step programme, with Luka expected to acknowledge the harm his addiction has done to himself and others.
The timing is impeccable throughout but as the tables are turned, and James’s behaviour is scrutinised, both give unsettling performances in a drama that specifically interrogates the role of a sponsor yet applies to multiple positions of authority and influence, including parenthood and priesthood. What appears at first to be a predictable plot twist, foreshadowed by a choice bit of dialogue from Raging Bull, swerves into something more psychologically interesting. The anonymous meeting-room set gives no place to hide as the pair, together on stage throughout, go toe to toe.
What power do you give another when you put your faith in them? What standards do you hold them to when you seek advice? When does care turn into control? As the questions proliferate and the pair argue over setting boundaries, Ireland continually blurs them in a play that regularly elicits winces. ‘Those that are crying will later be laughing,’ paraphrases James from the Bible. The reverse is perhaps true for this troubling take on feeling lost and the thorny question of redemption.” —Chris Wiegand, The Guardian
Through a partnership with OKC Repertory Theater, OKC Rep Members receive discounted admission to National Theatre Live screenings at OKCMOA.
Visit the box office for tickets, and learn more about OKC Rep at: https://www.okcrep.org/
