The Fifth Step
Jack Lowden and Martin Freeman are excellent in this intense but very funny two hander. Luka (Lowden) is looking for a sponsor to help him through his AA programme and James (Freeman) is the older man who steps into that role. Luka is a bundle of nervous energy, bouncing legs and fidgeting, whereas James is suave and under control. The play looks at what it means to put your trust in someone or something else, whether that’s a person. a programme or a religion and what happens when that turns out to be imperfect. And it explores those themes very well. But also, it’s very funny, with quick and smart lines thrown out with perfect timing for us to catch. The laughs are so fast and frequent it’s possible to forget that there is also a drama there too. I liked the musical choices too, opening with 'I ’m Just an Old Chunk of Coal (But I’m Gonna Be a Diamond Someday)' by Johnny Cash and an addict himself of course, which set the scene for what was co...