Ugala stages David Ireland’s The Fifth Step

Ugala Theatre will premiere Northern Irish playwright David Ireland’s play The Fifth Step on Saturday, with Andres Noormets directing in the theatre’s small hall, ERR reports.

The play follows Mart, who has completed the Alcoholics Anonymous programme and is supporting Lukas, a newcomer. Their tense journey takes them through joyful highs and unexpected, shocking depths of human experience.

The title refers to the programme’s fifth step, in which people admit their mistakes and secrets to themselves and another person. It is an important part of the journey, but honesty does not always bring the relief people expect.

Noormets said the production begins with the idea that people make plans, but God laughs. “Two people set off on a journey together, but when they return to where they started, they no longer recognise the place. So much has changed in the meantime. Life is a gust of wind and death is an illusion,” he said.

The Fifth Step premiered in Scotland in 2024 and later reached London’s West End and the Finnish National Theatre.

Noormets translated and directed the Ugala production and also designed its set. Maarja Viiding is the costume designer, Villu Konrad the lighting designer and Hans Noormets, also known as Rozell, composed the original music. The cast includes Riho Kütsar and Alden Kirss.