Clarkston is a play that looks at life in small town America, told through the eyes of Jake and Chris who meet through their job in Costco. Jake, the outsider, determined to travel before he becomes unable to do so due to his illness and Chris battling with his mothers drug addiction forge an unlikely bond.

Clarkston’s script by Samuel D Hunter is one where there is often little left to the imagination and each feeling is spelt out for the audience but despite this the development of the boys relationship is an intriguing watch, especially as their motives are so different but the outcome for them both so similar. The play explores numerous themes; friendship, addiction, families, confinement and sexuality but despite the huge range of issues and the importance of many of these they never feel rushed or under developed as Hunter has managed to distil these themes into what it means for these 2 individual characters.

The focus on the individual is enhanced by the staging and direction. The stage design by Milla Clarke is kept purposefully bare with just Costco sacking shelves for set on one side of the stage so the attention remains on the relationships rather than any flashy set. The back of the stage is stripped back to the back wall and we can see up into the flies and exposing the building in this way felt apt considering the themes of the show. Despite this the audience say on stage does feel like a gimmick and doesn’t seem to serve any purpose, especially as the show is predominantly played out to the front.

The cast of 3 are incredibly strong as their relationships and chemistry are utterly believable. Jake is played by Joe Locke who really grows on the audience as we find out more about him and his vulnerabilities as the play progresses. Ruaridh Mollica plays Chris with his tough exterior gradually broken down by Jake throughout the piece. Together Mollica and Locke convince us of the unlikely bond between the 2 of them and by the end of the play you are left believing that despite their differences they are good for each other. Trisha, Chris’ mum is played by Sophie Melville and her emotional range is huge. From her begging her son to give her a chance to her desperate pleas and anger towards the end, it is a hard watch but one that Melville delivers unflinchingly.

Clarkston is an intriguing piece which succeeds by focusing on the individual journey but in doing so allows the wider themes to speak for themselves, assisted by 3 strong performances it is a show which we find hope in a very unlikely place.

Clarkston is on at Trafalgar Theatre until November 22nd. You can find out more and book here.

If you like this review you might also like my review of Born With Teeth, Mousetrap and Witness for the Prosecution.