Scottish actor Jack Lowden, best known for his role in the hit series Slow Horses, has made a surprising confession about his comfort levels in front of the camera during the global premiere of NT Live's The Fifth Step in Edinburgh.
A Reluctant Screen Star
Despite his successful film and television career, Lowden revealed that returning to the stage in the intense West End play was a 'relief'. The actor, who stars alongside Martin Freeman in David Ireland's two-hander, stated unequivocally: 'I don't really feel comfortable at all on camera.'
He elaborated on this feeling during a discussion following a screening of the play's filmed version. 'Whenever I get to be on stage, I instantly feel at home,' Lowden shared. 'A lot of actors do say that, which can sound like shite sometimes, but I genuinely do mean it. I feel more at home on stage than I do in life and I don't know why that is at all.'
The Fifth Step: A Return to Roots
Lowden first took on the role of Luka, a character new to Alcoholics Anonymous, when The Fifth Step premiered at the Edinburgh International Festival in 2024. He reprised the performance in London earlier this year, this time opposite Martin Freeman's character James, who plays his AA sponsor.
The drama focuses on the confessional stage of AA's 12-step programme, where participants must acknowledge the harm their addiction has caused. Despite the serious subject matter, Lowden was keen to emphasise the play's entertainment value. 'There's no point in doing [these issues] in a play unless it is, first and foremost, entertaining,' he argued. 'No one should sit in the dark for an hour and 15 minutes and never laugh. I think that's robbing people of their money.'
An Actor's Perspective
Lowden described The Fifth Step as 'the most actor-friendly play I've ever done … or seen,' attributing this quality to the fact that both playwright David Ireland and director Finn den Hertog have backgrounds as actors themselves.
The screening in Edinburgh, where Lowden spoke alongside Ireland and den Hertog, marked the first time the actor had seen his own stage performance. 'Watching that was very strange – that's the first time I've ever seen anything of myself on stage,' he admitted, joking about his physical appearance: 'I can only apologise for not really having an arse!'
The Fifth Step represents Lowden's first stage role since Measure for Measure at the Donmar Warehouse in 2018. The actor has an established theatre career that includes the National Theatre of Scotland's Black Watch in his early twenties, followed by productions of Chariots of Fire, Ghosts opposite Lesley Manville, and Electra with Kristin Scott Thomas.
The NT Live capture of the play was filmed at @sohoplace in London and is scheduled for release in cinemas on 27 November.
