Is it yet possible to create a stem that includes a x to indicate ‘closer to singing than speaking’ (as opposed to x notehead for ‘closer to speaking than singing’)?
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Yes and no. Not natively and easily, no. You could add it as Text, make it not avoid collision, nudge it into place in Engrave mode and then Alt-click around to keep the X offset, at least, but that might get tiresome if there’s a lot of material.
Jazz articulations are confirmed for the next update. Other playing techniques that also need special positioning, such as these ones who hang on stems, were not… cough
Thanks LSalgueiro - I may need to find a workaround for now as that method might well get tiring.
I second that cough 
Could you add it to the notehead in the notehead set editor? You would need different noteheads for up and down stems but would be easier than manually adjusting a text object.
Does that work with stems down? Because I don’t recall the notehead glyph being flipped according to stem direction. If it does, great work!
You would have to create separate Upstem and Downstem nothead sets and apply them manually. So, not ideal but the best that can be done right now.
If you aren’t committed to an X, why not use the buzz roll “Z” tremolo marking? It doesn’t play back, by default.
Cross on stems is also used for “dead notes” on mallet instruments. I hope that this symbol will be added soon.
You may already know this, but you can go to Engrave Mode/Engrave/Notehead Sets/duplicate the notehead you want and retitle (__notehead with X upstem)/click on the edit (pencil)/Glyph/Range/Stems. Select the stem you want/Add Glyph/position it/OK/select stem direction/OK. I use this for Sprechgesang, but you can design your own system this way.
Have there been no other suggestion? What is the currently the best way to notate Sprechstimme in Dorico 5?
If you don’t need a buzz roll in your piece (the “z on stem” symbol), I’d suggest using Library > Music Symbols to edit this symbol in the Tremolos category. The disadvantage of this approach is that the note will play back as an unmeasured tremolo.