Joe Locke is bigger than the Heartstopper

Thursday 25 September 2025 11:59
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Thursday 25 September 2025 22:18

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Clarkston Play Review and Star Rating: ★★ior

Who is better to lead a new drama about the extraordinary highest and annoying teen trap than Joe Locke from Netflix’s Heartstopper, an event that basically rewrits the rules book about how Gen Z must be represented on TV. It’s just that, don’t be confused this for star vehicles: Clarkston must be the coolest show at West End at this time.

In his heart are two very interesting young men. Locke’s Jake is a special graduate from Connecticut who studies post-colonial gender studies, so that it sounds magnificent is a joke in and from himself. Then there is Chris Ruaridh Mollica, who lives in the city of Clarkston which is lacking in Washington. Both of them formed friendship when Jake visited to examine the role of his ancestors in colonizing the city.

Clarkston Play: Mulmming with vital questions about happiness and identity

Playwright Samuel D. The Hunter manuscript burned with an urgent question about happiness and identity, but never felt too accustomed or didactic. Previously from the game that won the Oscar that became the Pope, Hunter struggled to bring these people as an enhanced single entity, rather than focusing on romantic or sexual potential. Tense watching them includes classes and aspirations, Hunter manuscripts are often funny like that soft and black.

As for Locke, he has a natural talent for the stage, providing comedy and sincere moments with gravity behind his bubblegum image, even though the lines delivered by Trisha Sophie Melville (further about him later) showed a recent request to keep himself away from his Twink Citra may be ambitious. “He is very cute, you can put it in your pocket.”

The direction of Jack Serio is fast minimalist, rarely requires physical props to tell the story, except for some cartons, shelves, and boxes in the costco warehouse where boys work. This left a story that was beautifully distilled by a very capable actor. In one very handsome scene, we went from Clarkston to the coastline, 300 miles away, only with epic Derrosier, transportative lighting design and Locke and Molloica’s eyes widening. Tone Sepia transports us to the forest and above the canyon.

A special note must go to Sophie Melville, who is really tough as Chris Trisha’s mother. Fierce and arrogant in his love for his son but in the clutches of drug addiction, like everyone on stage, he is very designed realistically: try his best but is covered by unimaginable difficulties. However, there is always light somewhere, and Hunter shows how. Did I mention Mollica and Locke having extraordinary chemistry? Well, they do it, with a bucket burden. And if you are out of age, don’t worry: a balanced question about what brings us all the excitement will reach far more than just Gen Z.

Clarkston played at the Traflagar Theater until November 22; Clarkstonplay.co.uk