“The whole play is like my fifth step—it’s my confession,” says David Ireland of his play The Fifth Step, which premiered last year at the Edinburgh International Festival and now makes its West End debut. The “fifth step” he refers to is one of 12 that constitute the recovery journey in the Alcoholics Anonymous program. Drawing from his own experiences with addiction, Ireland tells the story of James, a longtime member of AA who agrees to sponsor the newcomer, Luka. The two begin to form a friendship, but when Luka reaches the fifth step—the confessional stage—he reveals hidden truths and vulnerabilities that have both men wanting to reach for the whiskey. Directed by Finn den Hertog and starring Jack Lowden and Martin Freeman, the play honestly yet humorously navigates guilt, shame, addiction, and masculinity. —Jeanne Malle