Jack Lowden, Martin Freeman to star in 'The Fifth Step' in the West End

David Ireland's drama will have a strictly limited run at @sohoplace this spring, following its premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival last year.

Olivier Award winner Jack Lowden and Emmy, BAFTA, and SAG Award winner Martin Freeman will star in David Ireland's play The Fifth Step, at @sohoplace in the West End. London performances run for 11 weeks only, from 10 May to 26 July. Press night is 19 May.

Lowden is best known for starring in the hit TV series Slow Horses (Emmy, Golden Globe nominations) and winning an Olivier for his performance in Henrik Ibsen's Ghosts.

Freeman is best known for his screen roles as Dr. John Watson in Sherlock (Emmy, BAFTA Awards), Tim Canterbury in The Office, and Bilbo Baggins in The Hobbit film trilogy. He has also appeared on the London stage in shows like Dumb Waiter, Richard III, and Clybourne Park.

In The Fifth Step, the actors play Luka, an Alcoholics Anonymous member, and James, his sponsor and a veteran of the program. The men bond at first, but when Luka reaches Step 5 of the program — self-examination — it turns out that they're both hiding dangerous secrets on which their recoveries depend.

"To just be in the room again with David and [director] Finn [Den Hertog] – two dangerously talented individuals – is a gift in itself," Lowden said in a statement. "But to now add Martin to the mix, an actor of black belt level skill and a hero of mine, just tops it. I can’t wait for more people to experience The Fifth Step."

Freeman said in a statement, “I’m really looking forward to performing this brilliantly funny, unsettling, unexpected play. David Ireland is something quite special and Jack Lowden is an actor I have tremendous respect for and am looking forward to working with him.”

The Fifth Step, directed by Finn Den Hertog, also features set and costume design by Milla Clarke, lighting design by Lizzie Powell, sound design by Mark Melville, and movement by Jenny Ogilvie.

The Fifth Step comes to London following its acclaimed premiere at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2024. Neal Street Productions, Playful Productions and National Theatre of Scotland present the show in the West End.

Check back for information on The Fifth Step tickets on London Theatre.

Photo credit: Martin Freeman and Jack Lowden. (Photo by Phil Fisk)