Following its acclaimed run at the 2024 Edinburgh International Festival, David Ireland’s powerful new play “The Fifth Step” is set to transfer to London’s @sohoplace theatre, featuring a powerhouse pairing of Jack Lowden and Martin Freeman. The limited 11-week season will bring this intimate exploration of addiction, masculinity, and faith to West End audiences from May 10 to July 26, 2025.
Jack Lowden, fresh from his success in the hit spy series “Slow Horses,” will reprise his acclaimed role as Luka, while Emmy, BAFTA, and SAG Award winner Martin Freeman joins the production as James. The play follows their characters’ journey through Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step program, where James becomes Luka’s sponsor. As they approach the crucial fifth step, both men must confront dangerous truths that threaten their recovery.
“To add Martin to the mix, an actor of black belt level skill and a hero of mine, just tops it,” says Lowden about his new co-star. Freeman shares the enthusiasm: “David Ireland is something quite special and Jack Lowden is an actor I have tremendous respect for and am looking forward to working with him.”
The production will take full advantage of @sohoplace’s intimate in-the-round setting, allowing audiences to experience this intense two-hander up close. Director Finn den Hertog, an associate artist at the National Theatre of Scotland, has reimagined the production specifically for the London venue.
For Theatre Lovers:
- Previews begin May 10, 2025
- Press night: May 19, 2025
- Final performance: July 26, 2025
- Venue: @sohoplace, 4 Soho Place, Charing Cross Road
- Performances: Monday-Saturday at 7:30 PM, with Thursday and Saturday matinees at 2:30 PM
In a welcome move for theatre accessibility, 15% of all tickets (approximately 4,000) will be priced at £25, making this star-studded production available to a wider audience. Tickets go on sale January 23, 2025, at www.thefifthstep.co.uk.
The production marks another significant transfer from Edinburgh to London, reinforcing the continuing strength of Scotland’s theatre scene. Playwright David Ireland notes, “I hope audiences in London will find the play as thrilling and funny and thought-provoking as audiences in Scotland have.”
For those planning their 2025 theatre calendar, this limited run promises to be one of the West End’s must-see productions, combining two of Britain’s most compelling actors in an intimate setting with challenging, contemporary material.
Author: Jonathan Thomas
Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile who launched Anglotopia.net in 2007 to channel his passion for Britain. Londontopia is its sister publication dedicated to everything London.