Joe Locke set for West End bow in CLARKSTON at Trafalgar Theatre

Television favourite Joe Locke will step onto a West End stage for the first time this autumn, headlining the UK premiere of CLARKSTON at the Trafalgar Theatre. The limited nine‑week season runs from 17 September to 22 November, with priority booking opening today at 10 am and public sales following tomorrow at the same time.

Written by Pulitzer Prize‑winning American playwright Samuel D Hunter and directed by up‑and‑coming US talent Jack Serio, CLARKSTON has built a reputation on the US fringe circuit for its intimate storytelling and modern take on the frontier narrative. Locke will portray Jack, a young man who heads west in search of renewal, his journey echoing the legendary expedition of Lewis and Clark. Rising actor Ruaridh Mollica joins the production alongside the acclaimed Sophie Melville, completing a compact three‑handed cast.

Locke, still only 21, shot to prominence as Charlie Spring in Netflix hit HEARTSTOPPER and has since broadened his screen résumé with the forthcoming Marvel series AGATHA ALL ALONG. On stage, he impressed critics with his 2023 debut in THE TRIALS at the Donmar Warehouse, playing an embittered teenager navigating a dystopian future. CLARKSTON marks his first West End appearance, signalling another step in a rapidly accelerating career.

Hunter’s play received its world premiere in 2015 and shares thematic DNA with his later screenplay for Darren Aronofsky’s The Whale. Set in a failing Idaho Costco, the story explores friendship, identity and the quiet resilience of everyday people searching for meaning in a changing America.

Tickets for CLARKSTON go on priority sale from 10 am today, 21 September, with general booking available from 10 am tomorrow, 22 September.

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