Joe Locke, renowned for his role in “Heartstopper,” is set to grace the West End stage this autumn in a play that explores the bond between two young men working night shifts at a warehouse in a remote American town.
Currently filming the forthcoming “Heartstopper” movie after three successful series on Netflix, Locke will transition to the stage later this year for this new role.
The 21-year-old actor will star in “Clarkston,” a play that follows two men in their twenties from different parts of the United States who meet while working at Costco.
Locke expressed his excitement to BBC News about his West End debut, noting that the role aligns with his desire to portray “flawed characters… who have a bit of bite.”
“Clarkston” is penned by Samuel D. Hunter, acclaimed for his 2012 play, “The Whale,” which was later adapted into an Oscar-winning film starring Brendan Fraser.
While the venue and dates for the British production are yet to be announced, producers have confirmed to the BBC that it will premiere in a West End theatre this autumn.
Set in Clarkston, Washington, the play introduces Chris, a Costco employee working night shifts, who encounters Jake, a young gay man from Connecticut.
Jake suffers from Huntington’s disease, a degenerative neurological condition, and finds himself in Clarkston after an unplanned detour during a road trip west.
“He’s this city boy in a small place,” Locke explained. “Jake has got so many layers to him that really unravel in the play. A lot of the themes are to do with class and the different experiences of the characters.”
Meanwhile, Chris grapples with a challenging relationship with his mother, who struggles with drug addiction.
Locke, known for portraying young men navigating their identities, stated, “I really enjoy characters that have something to them, a bit of bite, a bit of a grey area.”
“Everyone is flawed in some ways. And I’ve been lucky enough in my career so far to play a few flawed characters, and Jake is no different to that. And that’s the fun bit, the meaty bit, getting to know these characters – they’re good and they’re bad.”
Hunter emphasized that the play “is fundamentally about friendship and platonic male love, which is something that I feel like we don’t see a lot of on stage and screen.”
Locke concurred, “Yeah, one of my favourite things about this play is there’s a scene where these characters almost build on their platonic relationship and get to a romantic level, and they realise that no, the platonic relationship is what’s important, and I think that’s really beautiful.”
“Clarkston,” previously staged alongside Hunter’s “Lewiston,” has garnered positive reviews from critics in the United States.
“You feel like you’re eavesdropping on intensely private moments of people you don’t always like but come to deeply understand,” noted Frank Scheck of The Hollywood Reporter regarding a 2018 production.
“Toward the end, there’s an encounter between Chris and his mother that is as shattering and gut-wrenching a scene as you’ll ever see on stage. But the play ends on a sweet, hopeful note that sends you out of the theatre smiling.”
Charles McNulty of the LA Times, reviewing a different production in 2024, wrote: “Clarkston hints that some of our most instructive relationships may be the most transitory. That’s one of the beautiful discoveries in Hunter’s small, absorbing and ultimately uplifting play.”
Those who have worked night shifts may find the idea that the early hours foster openness and deeper conversations relatable.
Hunter suggests such an atmosphere creates a “more delicate, more intimate” backdrop.
“I had an experience working in a Walmart when I was a teenager,” he recalled, “and I found that places like the break room were so intimate and vulnerable, you’re in this very sterilised space so I think the need for human connection is made all the greater.”
Hunter conceived the play while visiting his hometown of Moscow, Idaho, approximately 30 miles from Clarkston, and became intrigued by “the idea that the American West is still kind of young,” following the Louisiana Purchase in the early 19th Century.
“The markers of that history are still there,” Hunter noted, “but they are right next to things like Costcos and gas stations and mini-malls.”
“So it just got me interested in the experiment of the American West and the colonial past, and what that means in 2025.”
Jack Serio, who previously directed Hunter’s “Grangeville,” will direct the new production, with Ruaridh Mollica and Sophie Melville cast as Chris and his mother, respectively.
Locke has previously performed on stage at London’s Donmar Warehouse and in a Broadway production of “Sweeney Todd.”
The actor stated that being a theatre actor “was the thing I wanted more than anything” growing up.
“I’m from the Isle of Man,” he explained, “and my birthday present every year was a trip to London with my mum to watch a few shows, so it’s very full circle to bring my mum to my press night to my West End debut, it’s going to be very exciting.”
Locke has starred in three seasons of Netflix’s “Heartstopper” since its debut in 2022. The series follows teenagers Charlie and Nick as they fall in love and navigate their circle of friends. Locke spoke to BBC News from the set of the film adaptation.
“It’s going great, we’re almost two thirds of the way through shooting now, and everything, touch wood, is going well,” he said.
“We’re having a great time doing it, it’s a really nice closing chapter of the story.”
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