Jack Lowden and Sean Gilder are remarkable in this latest production from David Ireland which is sincere and serious at times but funny throughout, says Ellie Forbes.
★★★★
Appal us, then make us laugh. That’s the David Ireland way. Delivering big societal questions wrapped in dark humour, there is a shock value to his work.
And he’s not deviated from this tried and tested approach in his latest production, The Fifth Step, which opens with Luka (Slow Horse star Jack Lowden) declaring ‘I think I might be an incel’.
A lonely, out of work alcoholic who masturbates 20 times a day, Luka is a lost soul desperately trying to find his place in the world.
Veteran Alcoholics Anonymous member James (Sean Gilder) becomes his sponsor and at first appears like a father figure to Luka who grew up watching his own dad abuse his mother.
The pair have an easy connection on stage – the softer and more relaxed James (a steller performance from Gilder) is a stark contrast to the jittery, anxious Luka.
Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
But things take a turn when Luka has a spiritual awakening after meeting Jesus – or possibly Willem Dafoe – running on the treadmill next to him at the gym and turns to Christianity.
After his come to Jesus moment, Luka loosens up and brims with energy, in a remarkable display by Lowden. He begins to have a clearer sense of what he thinks he wants and needs.
But James quickly becomes resentful and judgmental of Luka’s faith, with God’s role in the AA programme under scrutiny throughout the production.
Credit: Mihaela Bodlovic
The play’s title refers to the fifth step in the Alcoholic Anonymous programme – admit your struggles and things you are ashamed of to someone else and God.
Faith so often features in Ireland’s work, and this feels particularly close to home – the writer had a problem with alcohol as a young man and has recently turned to Christianity.
David Ireland. Credit: Tommy Ga-Ken Wan.
As things progress, James becomes more paranoid, red faced and angry. There is a shift in the power and shame between Luka and James, which is reflected in Milla Clarke’s revolving set as begins to disintegrate.
Ireland leads us to a turbulent crescendo of a father and son like clash, with James’ earlier words ‘You become the father to yourself that you needed’ echoing in the background.
The fizzing lines back and forth are sincere and serious at times. But Ireland dispenses generous doses of humour along the way, all while capturing the sometimes outrageous way men speak to each other about women and sex.
As expected, Ireland throws questions of faith, masculinity and sexuality at you in dizzying spells – there is a lot packed in and the ideas are often not tied up. The end left me none the wiser, but in the best way possible.
The Fifth Step, Pavilion theatre, Glasgow, 28-31 August.
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