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SCENE IT: Humanity within addiction-struggle explored in THE FIFTH STEP
Updated: 11 hours ago
Beverley Brommert
To put it mildly, addiction with its attendant miseries is not promising material for comedy. However, playwright David Ireland's unabashed irreverence in its depiction, together with a latent humanity, generates a laugh a minute in this brutally hilarious two-hander.
It all starts benignly enough in the context of a post-AA meeting: tired-looking posters exhorting trust in God and personal strength, a circle of dull chairs, a table offering the dubious cheer of cheap instant coffee and iffy milk...and in this predictable setting we witness the first exchange between two damaged men embarking on a life-changing mentorship.
The elder, James, is married, apparently healed, and appointed to steer young Luka along the rocky road to recovery from addiction. The duo behave like two different species warily sniffing at each other, non-invasive caution dictating a range of topics that do not probe too deeply into personal history.
As soon as the subject of spirituality is broached, the temperature rises and mordant humour is activated: non-sequiturs and misunderstandings result in, amongst other absurdities, a paper coffee cup equated with the Divine...and a provisional rapport is initiated between sponsor and protégé as Step One draws to an end.
As we follow James and Luka through subsequent Steps to redemption, inhibitions are shed and the most intimate details of sexual behaviour are aired with an earthy candour that goes some way to neutralise embarrassment. Along the journey, the issues that are raised - such as religion, masculinity, dependence, emotional need - while not to be lightly dismissed, are never allowed to degenerate into tedium.
This is more evisceration than investigation, and as it intensifies, the respective roles of James and Luka become fluid.
They achieve equality like well-matched opponents exchanging blows both verbal and physical. James, despite his credentials as a reformed addict, is just as vulnerable as Luka; Luka's hysteria is subdued through illusions and delusions.
Then comes the ominous Fifth Step, the ultimate acknowledgement of cringeworthy conduct. Can they do it?
Throughout the process, humour lasers the action in a variety of forms, from pure slapstick (a rabbit moment is notably grotesque) to sophisticated dialogue-of-the-deaf which rivals that of 20th century absurdist drama.
Albert Pretorius and Lyle October excel in their penetration of character and in the credibility of their relationship. Pretorius conveys every nuance of emotion with unflinching eye-contact and an impressive facial repertoire; October's manic energy provides the perfect antithesis to his co-performer's (generally) controlled passion.
Wolf Britz contributes minimalist staging that conduces to multiple scene changes, a minor flaw being the need for prop-shifting by the actors themselves in the penumbra between scenes.
A reliable yardstick for successful drama is its capacity to engage an audience, without an interval, for a prolonged period. Thanks to Ireland's script, committed performance from Pretorius and October, and astute direction from Charmaine Weir-Smith, this production succeeds on all counts.
You can see THE FIFTH STEP at the Baxter Theatre until 26 September 2026. Tickets can be booked through Webtickets. Please note the production carries and age advisory of PG 14 for strong language and violence.