Writer: Samuel D. Hunter
Director: Jack Serio
The small town of Clarkston is named after William Clark of the famous Lewis & Clark expedition that explored America’s uncharted West. Now, some 200 years later, Jake (Joe Locke), a descendant of William Clark, finds himself retracing this journey while working night shifts at the local Costco alongside Chris (Ruaridh Mollica).
What begins as workplace camaraderie quickly deepens into friendship and potentially something more. As their bond strengthens, their individual stories emerge: Jake is grappling with a life-limiting genetic disease, while Chris struggles with the aftermath of abandoning his drug-addicted mother (Sophie Melville). Each carries hope, yet feels trapped by circumstances beyond their control.
Samuel D. Hunter has crafted something remarkable – a play that functions as both an intimate character study and a meditation on inheritance, both genetic and historical. The parallel between Jake’s ancestral connection to exploration and his own uncertain future creates a poignant throughline that never feels forced. Hunter’s writing unfurls like a thriller, each revelation threatening to either shatter the men’s fragile connection or draw them closer.
What elevates Clarkston is Hunter’s refusal to offer easy resolutions. This isn’t about fixing broken people – it’s about recognising that brokenness doesn’t preclude beauty or connection. The late-night Costco setting becomes almost mythical, transformed by director Jack Serio into a liminal space where profound truths emerge between mundane tasks.
Joe Locke, best known from Netflix’s Heartstopper, delivers a performance of impressive maturity. His Jake is neither self-pitying nor artificially brave, finding complex emotional terrain between mortality and possibility. Ruaridh Mollica matches him perfectly, creating in Chris a character whose defensive humour barely conceals deep wells of guilt and longing. Sophie Melville brings necessary complexity to Chris’s struggling mother, avoiding the trap of playing addiction as simple tragedy.
Serio’s direction is admirably restrained, with sparse staging and audience seating placed on stage to amplify intimacy. We become witnesses to conversations that feel almost too private to observe.
The final act builds to a moment both surprising and inevitable. Hunter finds a way to honour the characters’ journeys while exploring larger themes about legacy and the courage required to keep moving forward when the path remains unclear. Like the Lewis & Clark expedition that haunts its margins, this is a play about venturing into uncharted territory, though not of landscape, but of human connection.
Runs until 22 November 2025
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STAR RATING: 4
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