Cape Town stages The Fifth Step, a play about addiction and loneliness
In Cape Town, South Africa, The Baxter theatre is staging The Fifth Step by playwright David Ireland until 26 September. The production tells the story of two men recovering from alcohol addiction who try to talk about trust, shame, faith and loneliness.
As Daily Maverick reports, the play debuted at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2024. Its author is David Ireland, a Belfast native who lives in Glasgow. The playwright wrote the work in the context of his own reflections on religion and returning to Christianity in his 40s.
Two Alcoholics Anonymous members
At the centre of the plot are James and Luka, played by Albert Pretorius and Lyle October. James is an older Alcoholics Anonymous member, married and non-religious; he tries to mentor the younger Luka. Luka is acutely affected by loneliness, emotionally unstable and prone to suicidal thoughts.
More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.
The characters discuss pornography addiction, sexuality, infidelity in marriage, child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, and the harm suffered by children in families with abusive parents. As their friendship develops, truth and lies are revealed, leading to conflict and violence.
Searching for a higher power
In the production, the protagonists reflect on a “higher power” in the context of Alcoholics Anonymous’ 12-step programme, as well as on the possibility of spiritual awakening in a secular world. The Cape Town production is directed by Charmaine Weir-Smith.
The publication’s reviewer noted the interplay between Pretorius and October, which, in her view, combines black humour, vulnerability, kindness and anger. The play is performed in the intimate Studio venue at The Baxter theatre.
