Heart stopping news! Joe Locke to make his West End debut in Clarkston
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**Joe Locke** is stepping off screen and onto the stage this autumn, following a standout run as Tobias in Broadway’s *Sweeney Todd* last year. Now, the *Heartstopper* and *Agatha All Along* star will lead the UK premiere of *Clarkston* in his West End debut. The poignant play is written by Oscar winning screenwriter, **Samuel D. Hunter** (*The Whale)*.
Locke stars as Jake, a young man drifting west in search of something more, who lands in a nondescript Costco in a quiet American town. There, he crosses paths with Chris - played by *The Franchise*’s **Ruaridh Mollica** - a fellow wanderer stuck on the night shift, and the two form an unexpected bond.
Joining them is The Stage award winner, **Sophie Melville**. Melville is best known for her explosive performance in *Iphigenia in Splott* and recent work in *The Way* and *Cowbois*.
*Clarkston* is a modern frontier tale—less covered wagons, more existential longing. As Jake and Chris forge a connection, they confront themes of belonging, loss, and the vast, aching distance between who they are and who they might become.
The production is helmed by **Jack Serio**, the Drama Desk and Obie Award-winning director whose immersive *Uncle Vanya* in a Manhattan loft became a word-of-mouth sensation. Serio recently premiered Hunter’s *Grangeville* at New York’s Signature Theatre, and now brings his raw, close-up style to London.
Hunter, who's emotionally resonant writing has shaped New York’s downtown theatre scene for over a decade, describes *Clarkston* as “a story about love and friendship in the midst of an unknown future,” a sentiment that resonates more than ever.
Locke said “I’m thrilled to be making my West End debut in ‘Clarkston’. Samuel D. Hunter’s writing is so deeply human and honest that I immediately connected with the play when I read it. I can’t wait to bring this beautiful story to life and share it with audiences in London.”
Clarkston will play a strictly limited run in the West End this autumn. Full performance dates and venue details are still to come.