THEATRE REVIEW: Never mind the manosphere: The Fifth Step depicts genuine male intimacy and brutal vulnerability
A dark comedy about male despair, addiction, loneliness and the possibility of spiritual awakening in a seemingly godless world is showing at The Baxter in Cape Town until 23 September.
The Fifth Step is a dark comedy set in Cape Town at The Baxter’s intimate Studio theatre, running until September 23. This play, written by Belfast-raised and Glasgow-based playwright David Ireland, explores the themes of male despair, addiction, loneliness, and spiritual awakening. The story revolves around two male protagonists who are recovering alcoholics, and the journey they embark on to confront their fears, beliefs, and loneliness in a seemingly godless world.
David Ireland, the playwright, drew inspiration for this play from his own experiences with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA), a 12-step addiction treatment programme. Ireland, now in his 50s, started drinking at the age of 14 and later quit at 23. Although he initially joined AA to deal with the loneliness of sobriety, he later found that the 12-step programme wasn't the right fit for him. Over 25 years after his last drink, Ireland decided to write a play exploring the complexities of male intimacy and vulnerability.
The play features Albert Pretorius as James, an older, presumably wiser AA veteran, and Lyle October as Luka, a younger, seemingly lonelier, and more suicidal newcomer to the AA community. As their friendship develops, the characters delve into topics such as porn addiction, sex with "Milfs," homosexual attraction, marital infidelity, and the Catholic Church's treatment of child abuse.
The actors skillfully portray the contrasting personalities of the two men, allowing the audience to witness their evolution as they confront their deepest emotions and secrets.
The director, Charmaine Weir-Smith, expertly creates an atmosphere that makes the characters' confessions and admissions feel honest and deeply moving. Despite the play's dark humor and shocking content, the performances are engaging, and the audience is drawn into the characters' struggles. The play avoids becoming trendy by avoiding references to contemporary manosphere figures like Andrew Tate, instead focusing on the genuine struggles faced by men from diverse backgrounds and experiences.
The performances of Pretorius and October are particularly praised, making the audience reflect on the possibility of spiritual awakening in an increasingly secular world.
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