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.
