A diamond in the rough concept awaiting further polishing. Rating
Good
Embarked on a journey to discover himself, Jake (Joe Locke) becomes stranded in the town of Clarkston and starts to work at the local Costco, where he meets Chris (Ruaridh Mollica), another worker in the store. The two young men quickly bond, become interested in each other and discover their respective pasts. Samuel D. Hunter’s script zooms into Jake and Chris’s troubled lives, and how Chris’s drug addict mother, Trisha (Sophie Melville), influences some of the pivotal moments of the men’s relationship.
Clarkston explores two separate, but intricately linked storylines in parallel: a mutually supportive relationship, with hints of romance, between Jake and Chris and a familial catastrophe on the verge of a breakdown. The direction by Jack Serio creates an intimate atmosphere between the two male characters, disclosing their vulnerability, and also conveys the evolution in the relationship between Chris and Trisha. This is further enhanced by the staging, particularly for audience members who are sitting on stage and are embedded within the action.
However, in an attempt to introduce the key elements such as Jake’s medical condition and the men’s sexuality early, they are revealed within the first few minutes of the play and feel like too much information too quickly. The audience aren’t given enough time to let them sink in before the play moves on to explore the men’s first attempt at a physical relationship in the immediate next scene.
Mollica, delivering the standout performance, exerts strength and confidence in his portrayal of Chris, which is easily the most developed of the three characters. It explores what it is like to be a homosexual in a small town, living with a drug addict mother and having to make his way through life by himself. Even suffering through this, he is still able to lend a sympathetic ear to Jake, hold on to his own aspirations and find the strength to give his mum another chance.
The narrative is intricate and genuine, the intensity of which is only heightened by the nuanced portrayal of the characters by the three phenomenal talents on stage. Jake is afflicted by a terminal medical condition, one that Locke is able to convey through subtle body movements. Although Jake clearly has feelings for Chris, this appears to be superficial until near the end of the play, where he deliberately damages an expensive store item when moving it with Chris and shows no immediate remorse for his actions.
Surprisingly, the most enjoyable aspect of the show lies in the mother and son relationship, which shifts from moments of improvement to deterioration as Trisha relapses into drug use and sabotages what she has spent months building. Mollicaplays a pivotal role in anchoring the two parallel streams in place, complementing and elevating the performances of both Locke and Melville.
The set is simple and bare, composed only of a tall warehouse stacking shelf on stage right, allowing the audience to fully focus on the characters for the most part. The lighting designed by Stacey Derosier provides contrasting indoor and outdoor scenes, and uses slightly brighter lighting during moments of positive engagement, which turns darker as these take a turn for the worse.
Clarkston is a diamond in the rough concept with a solid storyline. Yet with the mother and son relationship so well explored in this play the other elements suffer as a consequence and feel lacklustre by comparison. It is, however, undeniable that this play communicates a sense of hope and the importance of embracing the unknown.
Written by Samuel D. Hunter
Directed by Jack Serio
Set & Costume Design by Milla Clarke
Lighting Design by Stacey Derosier
Sound Design by George Dennis
Dramaturg by John Baker
Clarkson plays at Trafalgar Theatre until Saturday 22 November.
