Joe Locke, the Heartstopper star who captured hearts as Charlie, is back—but this time, he’s tackling something completely different.
Opening in London’s West End at the ClarkstonTrafalgar Theatre, Locke stars in Samuel D. Hunter’s new play, performing for a buzzing crowd of celebrities, including Andrew Scott.
From Schoolboy to Shelf-Stacker
Gone is the awkward teenage schoolboy Charlie. Locke now plays Jake, a young East Coast American graduate of Post-Colonial Gender Studies, embarking on a solo road trip.
Midway through his journey, he lands a temporary job stacking shelves at a Costco in Clarkston, Washington—three hundred miles shy of his intended Pacific Ocean destination.
It’s at Costco where the sparks fly. Jake meets Chris, played by rising stage talent Ruaridh Mollica, another young man struggling with his sexuality.
Fans of Heartstopper will spot echoes of Locke’s onscreen romance, with Chris paralleling Kit Connor’s Nick in his awkward journey to self-acceptance.
A Bucket List with a Heartbreaking Twist
The story takes a poignant turn: Jake is in Clarkston not just to wander but to tick off his bucket list, having been diagnosed with Huntington’s disease, a terminal genetic condition.
Told he has about eight years before the disease fully develops, Jake’s journey is underscored by urgency and quiet desperation.
Coincidentally, just this week, a treatment for Huntington’s disease has been announced, a real-world reminder of the stakes facing patients.
Yet, despite the gravity of Jake’s situation, the play is not depressing.
Instead, it celebrates the beauty of human connection and the liberation found in opening up to others despite life’s fears and disappointments.
Complex Characters and Emotional Nuance
Locke portrays Jake with a delicate mix of self-doubt and authenticity, executing a flawless American accent—a skill perhaps sharpened during his Broadway stint as Tobias Ragg in Sweeney Todd.
Meanwhile, Chris wrestles with his own challenges, including a meth-addicted mother who disrupted his childhood.
Played by Sophie Melville, she brings tension and intensity, highlighting the contrast between Chris’s past struggles with poverty and Jake’s relatively sheltered upbringing.
The play’s emotional depth is grounded in intimacy and nuance, rather than melodrama.
Director Jack Serio ensures the actors remain raw and exposed, with some of the audience seated on the Costco warehouse stage, blurring the line between performance and reality.
Joe Locke’s Stage Future
Locke’s performance confirms that his talent extends far beyond Netflix.
Having nailed this coming-of-age part, it seems only natural to wonder if he’ll soon tackle something more classical.
Could Hamlet be next, or will Locke continue to redefine what we expect from young, modern actors in the West End?