There are many ways in which a play reaches the stage. Some have backing and launch themselves into large productions; others find success on smaller stages within local theatre scenes before moving on; and others sit on playwrights’ shelves, waiting for the opportunity to arise. Samuel D. Hunter’s Clarkston, originally developed ten years ago, now receives its UK premiere at the Trafalgar Theatre, writes Christopher Peacock.
Clarkston is a small town in the north-western United States, named after the American explorer William Clark, who passed through with Meriwether Lewis during their great expedition. The land where they once camped is now occupied by a Costco.
Jake, a distant descendant of Clark, semi-tracking their path to the Pacific Ocean, has started on the night shift at Costco, working alongside Chris, a rudderless young man just getting by. They develop a relationship that pushes and pulls, and when Chris’s crack-addicted mother, Trish, re-enters his life, the pressure on their nascent bond intensifies and tempers begin to fray.
Hunter’s script leaves little to the imagination and comes across as heavy-handed. The play attempts to touch on many themes, from closeted homosexuality, disability, and drug addiction to suicide and post-colonialism, but none receive the attention or care required to generate real depth.
Joe Locke and Sophie Melville, as Jake and Trish respectively, handle their roles competently, but both characters feel rather two-dimensional. The standout performance comes from Ruaridh Mollica as Chris, who brings the most nuance to the text. His portrayal of emotional conflict is never overplayed and remains grounded in reality. The highlight of the production, however, is Stacey Derosier’s lighting design: harsh industrial lighting combined with an emotive colour palette breathes life into the otherwise sparse warehouse setting.
Jack Serio’s direction feels static during the quieter moments, and the addition of onstage audience seating adds little to the experience as the production never achieves the level of intimacy that such staging might suggest. A more stripped-back version in a smaller venue might have given greater purpose to the minimal direction. For that to work, the script would need to clarify which relationships and themes it truly wants to explore, allowing them more time and space to unfold.
Although Clarkston may not be the star vehicle one might expect for a young talent like Joe Locke, whose acclaimed work in Netflix’s Heartstopper won him many fans, it will likely still draw audiences during its limited nine-week run.
Trafalgar Theatre, 14 Whitehall London SW1A 2DY until 22nd November.
Booking and full details: https://clarkstonplay.co.uk/
