The Fifth Step

The Fifth Step

After years spent in the 12-step program of Alcoholics Anonymous, James (Yulian Vergov) becomes a mentor to newcomer Luka (Boyko Krastanov). As they share similar life experiences, the two gradually grow closer. However, when the time comes for the Fifth Step—the confession—dangerous truths begin to surface, threatening their fragile friendship.

"The Fifth Step" is a bold, captivating, and irresistibly funny new play by David Ireland, which became one of the major hits in the UK in 2025.

Alcoholics Anonymous and Their 12-Step Tightrope

The hardest of the 12 steps in the Alcoholics Anonymous program is the Fifth Step—the admissions.

A new member arrives in the Program—young Luka. He must choose his personal sponsor—a mentor—with whom to walk all 12 steps toward full recovery.

Luka chooses James as his mentor, but in him, he picks an extraordinary, secretive, and insightful guide. Two men with the exact same problem—alcohol—yet polar opposites in every other way, are confronted with a question far more dangerous than alcohol: who and what controls our lives, and to what extent can we interfere in someone else's? The trust between them hangs in a fragile balance, their forces are matched, and the stakes keep rising until they reach the Fifth Step.

Is this healing or a fight for survival? Do we choose our own scariest enemies, and do we raise them ourselves? An explosive mix of subtle humor, bold dialogue on the brink of decency, and a level of candor that has long crossed that line, all structured within the flawless mathematical logic of David Ireland’s playwriting.

(Vesela Vasileva)

Author: David Ireland

Cast: Boyko Krastanov, Yulian Vergov

Director: Vesela Vasileva

Set & Costume Design: Elena Ivanova

Composer: Rosen Zahariev

Choreographer: Philip Milanov

Lighting Design: Mariana Hlebnikova

Poster & Visuals: Teodora Simova

Photographer: Ivan Donchev

Translation: Radoslav Petkashev

Production: Quasar Studio

Not recommended for audiences under 16 years of age.