The Effect
By LUCY PREBBLE
A clinical romance exploring the limits of medicine and the inevitability of physical attraction
21-25 MARCH 2023
Part psychological thriller, part chemical romance, The Effect is a play that can truly challenge an audience.
After staging Lucy Prebble’s sold-out Enron to great acclaim, in 2023 Sedos returns to the writer 10 years on to tackle her follow up play about medicine and the mind.
Two young volunteers, Tristan and Connie, agree to take part in a clinical drug trial. Succumbing to the gravitational pull of attraction and love, however, Tristan and Connie manage to throw the trial off-course, much to the frustration of the clinicians involved. This funny, moving and perhaps surprisingly human play explores questions of sanity, neurology and the limits of medicine, alongside ideas of fate, loyalty and the inevitability of physical attraction.
This show contains references to mental illness, and sexual language and actions.
The Effect plays at the Bridewell Theatre from 21-25 March 2023.
This amateur production of The Effect is presented by arrangement with Concord Theatricals Ltd. on behalf of Samuel French Ltd. www.concordtheatricals.co.uk
The Effect is a headlong delve into the mysteries of the human brain. And Prebble pulls it off with assurance, tickling our cerebellums in the first half, before tugging on our heartstrings in the second ... heartbreaking ... [it has] a heart as well as a brain.
The Effect team is proud and excited to be supporting CALM - the Campaign Against Living Miserably.
Some of the complex themes in The Effect surrounding mental illness and its treatment will be all too familiar to so many people. Because of that, as a team, we have decided to raise funds for CALM – a leading movement against suicide in the UK.
You can learn more about the fantastic work CALM is doing and how you can show your support here.
CAST
CONNIE | Jess Rogers
TRISTAN | Omar Aga
LORNA | Jessica Dawes
TOBY | Daniel Saunders
NURSE | Sophie Goodman
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTOR | Jonathon Harding-Cooper
PRODUCER | Ben Hussey
LIGHTING DESIGN | Rhona Sampson
SET REALISATION | Andrew Laidlaw
STAGE MANAGER | Laura Martin
ASSISTANT PRODUCER | Sukhi Bains
PROPS | Aimee Parnell
WELL-BEING COORDINATOR | Kim Barker
MARKETING and COSTUMES | Natalie Harding-Cooper
PHOTOGRAPHY | Stephen Russell
COMMITTEE LIAISON | Tess Robinson
This production of The Effect is a definition of an intelligent, emotionally invested drama sprinkled with plenty of laughs and deep reflection on the human mind and depression. As a whole, it achieves the difficult task to keep the complex general output on an emotionally balanced level… The Effect creates a deeply moving experience for its audience.
Within reviews there are often small moments in the show, ranging from the book, the performances or the technical side of things that I try to provide some sort of constructive criticism on where appropriate. However in Sedos’ production of The Effect there are no areas of the show that I could legitimately suggest an improvement on, a unusual thing in professional work, let alone amateur theatre. The Effect is a rare treat where the book, the performance and the technical elements merge together perfectly to create an outstanding night at the theatre.
As you take your seat forget the word “amateur”. It has no place here. A small cast of five take on the full weight of this powerful play and its complex topics giving us a presentation as good as any professional theatre.
We have an excellent story, so the big question is, did Sedos deliver it? The answer is a spectacular yes, they did in every way possible. From Andrew Laidlaw’s very clinical set to Natalie Harding-Cooper’s costumes, Rhona Sampson’s lighting, and Jonathan Harding-Cooper’s direction, the company broke the story down to its constituent parts and gave the audience a perfect visual setting to enjoy the words which were delivered by an outstanding cast.
Bridewell Theatre
From £10
Gala night: Friday 24 March - tickets include a drink and programme
- Tuesday 21 March 2023 7.30pm
- Wednesday 22 March 2023 7.30pm
- Thursday 23 March 2023 7.30pm
- Friday 24 March 2023 7.30pm
- Saturday 25 March 2023 2.30pm
- Saturday 25 March 2023 7.30pm