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Clarkston Reviews Applaud Joe Locke, Question the Play’s Weight and Price

Early reviews hail Joe Locke’s stage turn under Jack Serio’s minimalist production.

Overview

  • Samuel D. Hunter’s 2015 play receives its U.K. premiere at London’s Trafalgar Theatre, with the limited West End run scheduled through 22 November.
  • Joe Locke stars as Jake opposite Ruaridh Mollica’s Chris, with critics highlighting their chemistry and noting a strong turn from Sophie Melville as Chris’s mother.
  • Reviewers describe a character-led coming-of-age drama set on a Costco night shift, with Jake’s Huntington’s disease shaping the story’s stakes.
  • Jack Serio’s near‑prop‑free staging and Stacey Derosier’s lighting draw repeated praise, including for onstage seating that places some audience members within the action.
  • Several critics commend the acting yet call the play slight, with The Times questioning top ticket prices around £100 while flagging cheaper onstage seats at £25 to £39.