Harry Clark is the former lance corporal from Slough who lied, cheated and betrayed his way to victory on The Traitors. His near namesake goes several scandalous steps further, fuelled by dirty martinis and carnal desire, in David Cale’s 2017 monologue. The show gives US star Billy Crudup his West End debut 20 years after he played an English actor in the film Stage Beauty, set in Restoration London.
He’s playing another Londoner, of sorts. The deception starts with the title: Harry Clarke is the cocky man-about-Camden-Town alter ego of timid Philip Brugglestein who grew up gay in Indiana. In a galloping introduction that needs to ease just a little, Crudup names Philip’s home city, South Bend, as if he can barely bring himself to say it let alone continue living there.
