The point is to divest yourself of shame. Anything that'll make you pick up a drink in the future. It's about getting clean.

After many years in the 12-step programme of Alcoholics Anonymous, James agrees to become the sponsor of newcomer Luka.

On the journey to sobriety, the pair bond over black coffee, trade stories, and build a fragile friendship out of their shared experiences.

On the cusp of Step 5, their conversations must turn to confessionals, with progress hinging on Luka revealing secrets that could lead back to alcohol. But it's clear that James also has dangerous truths in his past, truths that threaten the trust on which both their recoveries depend.

David Ireland's The Fifth Step is a provocative, entertaining and subversively funny new play.

This revised and updated edition was published to coincide with the @sohoplace production in May 2025, after its premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival.