'Clarkston' review — Joe Locke makes an accomplished West End debut in this empathetic drama

Read our review of Samuel D. Hunter's play Clarkston, now in performances at the Trafalgar Theatre to 22 November.

This UK premiere of Clarkston, Samuel D. Hunter's three-hander set in smalltown America, provides an opportunity to see the work of a writer not often seen on this side of the pond, along with a well-fitting role for Heartstopper star Joe Locke to make his West End debut.

That role is Jake, a terminally ill (with Huntington's disease) young man tracing the route of his explorer ancestor William Clark, who pitches up in the town bearing his name and starts working in the warehouse of the local Costco. Here he encounters Chris (Ruaridh Mollica), who talks him through the job ("you put [items] on the shelves"), and soon becomes both a confidante and love interest.

Hunter touches on some interesting themes, such as the relationship between colonial historical legacies and contemporary times, and the strain of youthful nihilism summed up by Jake's line that it's "a terrible time to be alive, there's nothing left to discover". He also explores the impact of drug abuse through the character of Chris's mother Trisha (Sophie Melville), whose purported love for her son is belied by her failure to kick the meth.

The cast deliver lively and empathetic performances, though it has the feel of a chamber piece that has been stretched beyond its natural size in the Trafalgar. It would be much better suited to a studio venue. And both Jack Serio's taut, spare direction and designer Milla Clarke's minimalist industrial aesthetic are rather undermined by having two sides of onstage audience seating.

Locke shows himself to be an accomplished stage performer, capturing a certain romantic ennui in Jake that makes him a likeable protagonist. His attraction to Chris seems at least part motivated by his recognition of a fellow broken soul, and there's something both symbolic and deeply sad about these two bright young men being stuck in such a dead-end situation.

Mollica is excellent too as the kind but creatively frustrated Chris, who has aspirations to write novels, while Melville brings plenty of frenetic energy to proceedings, especially considering the somewhat boilerplate nature of her character. Her final scene in particular leaves a lasting impression.

It's asking a lot for a play about terminal illness and drug addiction to contain a measure of hope, but Hunter manages to find some as the guys finally escape their smalltown drudgery and travel to the sea, just like Lewis and Clark before them. We find ourselves willing them to find their own version of happiness, however unlikely it might be.

Clarkston is at the Trafalgar Theatre to 22 November. Book Clarkston tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Clarkston (Photos by Marc Brenner)