The Fifth Step evaluate: The huge shock in Martin Freeman and Jack Low | Theatre | Entertainment | EUROtoday

One is likely to be forgiven for pondering {that a} two-hander about alcoholism goes to be a troublesome watch. Yet David Ireland’s quick, sharp play is hilariously humorous, till it isn’t. It can be beneficiant, warm-hearted and abrasively practical.

The mixture of Jack (Slow Horses) Lowden and the supernaturally versatile Martin Freeman is an onstage marriage made in heaven. Lowden is Luka, a Scottish incel whose failure to have a relationship with a lady has pushed him to a lifetime of extreme ingesting and self-abuse. Freeman is James, a recovering alcoholic who’s married with a toddler and who turns into his AA sponsor.

As particulars of Luka’s addictive and pathetic way of life emerge, James turns into more and more involved in regards to the welfare of his consumer, in addition to dealing with extreme doubts about his personal home state of affairs.

At first, James appears clever and keen to assist, gently parrying Luka’s aggression and frustration whereas probing his background. Luka responds fitfully till he has a non secular epiphany on the health club through which he fantasises competing with actor Willem Dafoe on a treadmill.

As a consequence, Luka begins to get evangelical on his sponsor, who despises all organised religions and promotes his ‘spirituality’ by way of a half-hearted Buddhism. With only a handful of plastic chairs and a desk with espresso and tea issues, Finn den Hertog’s in-the-round manufacturing depends virtually fully on the performances, though credit score is because of Lizzie Powell’s lighting and Mark Melville’s music and sound design.

The banter is waspish and really humorous, enhanced by the actors’ physique language and double takes that ship as many laughs because the dialogue.

Ireland has consummate management of his narrative and his slippery wit. When Luka lies about ingesting espresso in a pub and James ripostes, “You don’t go to a brothel for a kiss,” is only one of many zingers. In addition, James’ suggestion that Luka ought to take up weights or knitting instead of masturbation is sort of as humorous as his later look in a pair of bunny ears. It is a Harvey second that I will not be forgetting in a rush.

Lightweight, quick on its ft, it’s removed from frivolous and might need benefited from being longer. That’s not one thing I say fairly often.

THE FIFTH STEP IS AT @SOHOPLACE UNTIL JULY 26