The point is to divest yourself of shame. It's about getting clean.

Thirty something Luka is new to Alcoholics Anonymous and looking for a sponsor.? James is older, has been in the programme for years, surely he's the perfect person to shepherd the younger man through each of the twelve steps on the road to recovery. Or maybe life just isn't that simple.

In a programme that requires both of them to come to terms with their past, can Luka and James face their transgressions to find a new way of living??

The Fifth Step is David Ireland's grimly comic, provocative new play about men, intimacy and what we choose to put our faith in.

This edition was published to coincide with the National Theatre of Scotland's production at the Edinburgh International Festival, in August 2024.