Manx actor Joe Locke is set to star in a new biopic film alongside a star-studded cast, which began filming at the start of the month.

‘Elsinore’ has been described as a ‘deeply moving and inspiring true story’ of the actor Ian Charleson, who faced incredible odds while preparing to give the ‘performance of his life’ in Hamlet at the National Theatre in London. The actor starred in the play shortly before his death from AIDS in 1990.

Locke has joined A-list actors Andrew Scott and Olivia Colman in the cast, as well as Billie Piper (Doctor Who), Johnny Flynn (Ripley), Luke Thompson (Bridgerton) and BAFTA winner Monica Dolan (Mr Bates Vs The Post Office).

Juliet Stevenson (Bend It Like Beckham), BAFTA winner Adeel Akhtar (Sherwood) and BAFTA winner Peter Mullan (Ozark) also form part of the cast.

Locke is best known for his breakthrough performance in Heartstopper, and also recently appeared in the well-received Marvel TV show ‘Agatha All Along’ on Disney+ alongside well-known actors Aubrey Plaza and Kathryn Hahn.

The Douglas-born actor also recently stepped onto the West End stage in the new play ‘Clarkston’ from Pulitzer Prize-winning playwright Samuel D. Hunter, best known for ‘The Whale’.

Set in Clarkston, Washington, the play begins with Chris, a Costco employee working night shifts, who met Jake (played by Locke), a new hire and a young gay man from Connecticut.

The play, which also starred Ruaridh Mollica and Sophie Melville, ran from September until November 2025 and was met with mixed reviews.

Martin Robinson from The Standard wrote: ‘Of course Heartstopper star Locke is the big draw here. He’s perfectly fine, even if he’s acting through his accent a bit too much.’

Sian McBride from London Theatre Direct wrote: ‘Locke and Mollica create a dynamic both tender and combative, a rhythm that pulls the audience into their shared vulnerability.

‘The performances are quiet, nuanced, and deeply felt.’