Podcast Summary: Clarkston starring Joe Locke, Ruaridh Mollica (Trafalgar Theatre, West End) - ★★★ REVIEW

Host: Mickey Jo (MickeyJoTheatre)
Release Date: September 27, 2025

Main Theme & Purpose

Mickey Jo offers an in-depth review and personal reflection on "Clarkston," a one-act play by Samuel D. Hunter, now running at London's Trafalgar Theatre. The episode explores the play’s themes, character dynamics, cultural resonance (or lack thereof), and the quality of acting from its principal cast—Joe Locke, Ruaridh Mollica, and Sophie Melville. Mickey Jo also comments on the increasing “Off-Broadwayification” of London theatre.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Overview of Clarkston & Its Setting [01:00–05:00]

• Written by Samuel D. Hunter (author of “The Whale”).
• Setting: Clarkston, Washington, near the Idaho border—reflecting the working-class, rural American experience.
• The play explores lives shaped by economic limitations and unfulfilled dreams, particularly the inability to “expand their own frontiers”:

  “...frontiers once explored by pioneers and now inhabited by people growing up and living and working in just enough austerity to prevent them ever really being able to expand their own frontiers and, for example, travel west far enough to go and see the Pacific Ocean in their lifetime.” —Mickey Jo [02:18]

• The protagonist, Jake (Joe Locke), is a descendant of Clark (of Lewis & Clark), prompting his westward journey, paralleling American pioneer history.

2. Plot Structure & Character Dynamics [05:00–11:59]

• The play opens as Jake, newly arrived from Connecticut, starts work at Costco, trained by local Chris (Ruaridh Mollica).
  • Initial interactions are charged with “homoerotic tension.”

    “I'm like a sniffer dog when it comes to homoerotic tension. And in the first couple interactions between these two...there is quite clearly a romantic tension and a spark there...” —Mickey Jo [05:50]

• Jake reveals he has juvenile Huntington’s disease and isn’t expected to live past age 30—bringing urgency to his choices.
• Chris's background: working-class, upbringing marked by his mother's drug addiction, emotional estrangement, and socioeconomic hardship.
• Chris's mother (Sophie Melville), attempting reconciliation, adds depth and tension to Chris’s character arc.
• The play focuses on small, revealing moments, strained connections, and what keeps these characters from (or draws them toward) intimacy.

  “It is more about moments of encounter and moments of sharing details about yourself with another person...predominantly, it's about these two souls and the circumstances in which they find each other and what it is that they need from each other...” —Mickey Jo [10:40]

3. Thematic Analysis & Reflections [13:02–18:48]

• Ambivalence Toward Jake’s Motivations: Despite Jake’s trauma (illness, breakup, privilege), his quest feels “emotionally dishonest” or underexplored.

  “There is this creeping quality of emotional dishonesty and it's as though we never really get to the bottom of why this means as much as it does for him.” —Mickey Jo [13:32]

• Resonance (or Not) with London Audiences: The “privileged American goes west to find themselves” trope is specifically American and might not land with a British crowd:

  “The entire concept of, you know, a privileged young man trying to find himself by heading west, I think means fairly little to us as a British audience. It's a very romanticized American idea that to my mind just doesn't really resonate.” —Mickey Jo [15:15]

• Observations on the play’s “Off-Broadway” feel—naturalism, minimal plot, focus on character study, which differs from typical West End fare.

  “It just felt a little bit more like an indie movie than a substantial and rewarding piece of theater, which I think is a way of me saying not a lot really happened.” —Mickey Jo [13:31]

• The play’s queer element is presence but not trauma-focused or didactic.

  “...for the most part, though, it is not a queer trauma play and its queer identity is essential, but it's also only a characteristic of it. It's not what I would call a gay play.” —Mickey Jo [16:23]

4. Acting & Performance Breakdown [20:15–30:00]

Mickey Jo offers detailed praise and nuanced critique of each actor:

• Ruaridh Mollica (Chris):

  • Stellar, emotionally layered performance—“angry young man” with “concealed sensitivity.”

  “Years of sorrow and disappointment tremble on his lips and it's as though he is wrestling the youth that he never really got to have in the adulthood that he has been forced to experience a little too early into this uncomfortable choke hold.” —Mickey Jo [20:40]

  • Navigates between volatility and vulnerability, especially in scenes with his mother and Jake.

• Joe Locke (Jake):

  • Good, truthful performance, yet feels “more crafted for the screen than for the stage.”

  “It does feel a little bit like Joe Locke is giving a performance more crafted for the screen than for the stage. It doesn't have the same degree of theatricality...” —Mickey Jo [22:00]

  • Character sometimes comes off as “minimally endearing”; his motivations lack specificity in the writing and performance.

    “That's what you're doing, that's not why you're doing it.” —Mickey Jo [23:52]

• Sophie Melville (Trisha, Chris’s Mother):

  • Gives the most “heightened and theatrical” performance, as called for by the material.
  • Her final emotional confrontation with Chris is “an emotional supernova” and a highlight of the play.

    “It's like eating a red hot chili pepper repeatedly and continuing to be surprised by the fact that it's hot. ... hers is a scorchingly good performance.” —Mickey Jo [26:11]

• Onstage Chemistry:

  • The trio’s interactions are “honed and refined,” creating palpable tensions—between resentment, longing, disappointment, and hope.

• Technical/Design Elements:

  • Minimal set, shelves for Costco; onstage audience seating available.
  • Lighting design by Stacey Derosier is especially praised, notably the warm glows and the blue wash in the final Pacific Ocean scene.

5. Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Existential question about theatre’s purpose: “I don't know if you've had this experience, but sometimes I'll be in the middle of specifically watching a play and I'll start to have an existential crisis about whether or not theatre needs to mean anything or say anything or really do anything. Like if I liked the play, does it matter that nothing really happened?” —Mickey Jo [01:00]
• On the intensity of Chris’s character: “Years of sorrow and disappointment tremble on his lips...” —Mickey Jo [20:45]
• On the play’s muted message: “It's still a play that I don't think is really saying as much as it could and not that every play needs to deliver a hard hitting message.” —Mickey Jo [17:49]
• On queer representation: “It's not what I would call a gay play. And in fact, a lot of the most enjoyable scenes are those in which the relationship between these two characters subtly progresses. The intimacy of their first kiss is equaled almost by the intimacy of a moment in which they read to each other.” —Mickey Jo [16:34]

Episode Timeline

| Time | Segment | |------------|-------------------------------------------------------------| | 01:00–05:00| Intro to Clarkston, setting, origins, and plot setup | | 05:00–11:59| Character relationships, reveals, central tension | | 13:02–18:48| Thematic analysis, cultural mismatch, “Off-Broadwayification”| | 20:15–30:00| Acting/performance assessment, design, notable scenes |

Final Thoughts & Recommendations

• Mickey Jo felt “Clarkston” offered engaging scene work, notably great acting—especially from Ruaridh Mollica and Sophie Melville—but questioned the depth and resonance of Jake’s journey and the play’s overall emotional payoff.
• For London theatregoers, “Clarkston” may be an interesting change of pace, but its American cultural baggage may not translate fully.

  “Certainly this is a play to be seen if you were in the market for some fantastic acting for great scene work between these performers.” —Mickey Jo [29:41]

• Ultimately, while the play is recommended for those interested in character-driven drama and outstanding performances, some may leave wanting more in terms of thematic substance and emotional clarity.

Listener Engagement

• Encourages audience to share their own thoughts and experiences, both on YouTube and audio podcast feeds.
• Stresses that all opinions are subjective and invites dialogue in the comments.

Rating: ★★★ (out of 5)
Host sign-off: “Have a stagey day!”