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The Effect

by Lucy Prebble
in association with The Jamie Lloyd Company

A blue-tinted photomontage split into four quadrants, with portraits of Taylor Russell in the top-left and Paapa Essiedu in the top-right, Paapa and Taylor about to kiss in the bottom-left and Taylor touching her neck, eyes closed, in the bottom-right.

Booking and details

Now streaming
Watch on National Theatre at Home

This production played in the Lyttelton Theatre from 1 August to 7 October 2023.

Who I am
Is not
A side effect.

Hearts and minds racing, Connie and Tristan are falling for each other fast. But is their sudden and intoxicating chemistry real, or a side effect of a new antidepressant?

As two young volunteers in a clinical drug trial, their illicit romance poses startling dilemmas for the supervising doctors.

Lucy Prebble’s (Succession) critically acclaimed play returns to the National Theatre in a bold new production directed by Jamie Lloyd (Cyrano de Bergerac).

Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You) is joined by Taylor Russell (Bones and All) in this funny and intimate examination of love and ethics.

Performed 1 August — 7 October 2023 in the Lyttelton Theatre.

★★★★★

‘Glorious’

Mail on Sunday

Review of The Effect in The Stage

★★★★★

‘Tender, thrilling and elegantly brutal’

The Stage

Review of The Effect in WhatsOnStage

★★★★★

‘Acting of the highest calibre. Utterly compelling.’

WhatsOnStage

Review of The Effect in the Gay Times

★★★★★

‘Theatre at its finest’

Gay Times

Review of The Effect in the Guardian

★★★★

‘A stellar cast. Intense and intoxicating’

Guardian

Review of The Effect in the Standard

★★★★

‘Lloyd is the most exciting director working today’

Evening Standard

Review of The Effect in the Independent

★★★★

‘Lucy Prebble’s lab trial drama fires the synapses’

Independent

★★★★

‘Jamie Lloyd’s exhilarating production. Dazzling.’

Sunday Times

★★★★

‘Lucy Prebble’s greatest play in a fiery production’

Daily Telegraph

★★★★

‘Jamie Lloyd’s superbly performed, stylised production’

Daily Mail

Review of The Effect in London Theatre

★★★★

‘Unfailingly exciting’

Observer

11 Reviews

Nominated for the Olivier Awards 2024:

  • Best Revival

Suitability

Please note: This production contains strong language and adult themes. There are strobe/flashing lights, smoke and haze effects, with some loud music.

Some scenes include sexual content, physical aggression, depictions of seizures and references to depression, anxiety and suicide.

Gallery

Open Gallery Dialog: 11 images Paapa Essiedu as Tristan and Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. They are holding each other, about to kiss.
Paapa Essiedu as Tristan and Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. They are holding each other, about to kiss.
Paapa Essiedu as Tristan and Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. They are holding each other, about to kiss.
View 11 images
Paapa Essiedu as Tristan and Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. They are standing on stage, surrounded by haze and looking at one another. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith performing as Dr Toby Sealey in The Effect. He is wearing a black top and looking straight ahead. Paapa Essiedu as Tristan and Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. They are facing away from one another and are wearing white tracksuits. Michele Austin as Dr Lorna James in The Effect. Michele is wearing all black and sitting in a chair, looking off to the left. Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. She is wearing a white tracksuit and kneeling on the floor. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith, Taylor Russell, Paapa Essiedu and Michele Austin performing in The Effect. They are on a white stage with no set or props besides two plain chairs. Paapa Essiedu as Tristan and Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. They are holding each other and dancing. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Dr Toby Sealey in The Effect. He is wearing all black and sitting in a chair with his arms crossed. Paapa Essiedu as Tristan in The Effect. He is wearing a white hoodie, and looking to the left. Michele Austin as Dr Lorna James and Taylor Russell as Connie in The Effect. Michele sits in a chair and Taylor sits with her arms covering her face.

Production images

Open Gallery Dialog: 10 images Taylor Russell and Paapa Essiedu in the rehearsal room. Paapa has his hand on Taylor's shoulder and Taylor is looking at him laughing.
Taylor Russell and Paapa Essiedu in the rehearsal room. Paapa has his hand on Taylor's shoulder and Taylor is looking at him laughing.
Taylor Russell and Paapa Essiedu in the rehearsal room. Paapa has his hand on Taylor's shoulder and Taylor is looking at him laughing.
View 10 images
Michele Austin performing a scene in the rehearsal room. She is wearing a green striped top. Paapa Essiedu in the rehearsal room looking to the left and laughing. Kobna Holdbrook-Smith and Paapa Essiedu performing a scene in the rehearsal room. Paapa is lying on the floor and Kobna is sitting in a chair gesturing to the right. Jamie Lloyd sitting in the rehearsal room wearing a baseball cap and a denim shirt. Taylor Russell lying on the floor of the rehearsal room wearing a black top. Taylor Russell and Paapa Essiedu sitting in the rehearsal room. Paapa is looking at Taylor and Taylor is looking off into the distance. The cast of The Effect performing a scene in the rehearsal room. Lucy Prebble sitting in the rehearsal room in a black top. Mikey J Asante sitting in the rehearsal room with a laptop and headphones on. He is wearing a black hoodie.

In rehearsal

Video

A blue-tinted photomontage split into two panels, with a close-up film still of Paapa Essiedu and Taylor Russell, foreheads touching, on the left, and a longer shot of the same scene, moments before or after, revealing Taylor's arm around Paapa's neck, on the right.
Play Video

Watch the trailer

Play Video:

Watch the trailer
Two people sitting in a rehearsal room, looking off to the left.
Play Video

Creating the Character

Play Video:

Creating the Character
Two people wearing matching tracksuits stand on a dark, empty stage, each lit in a square of light.
Play Video

Creating the Space

Play Video:

Creating the Space
A man in a dark room looking at a sound board and wearing headphones.
Play Video

Creating the Sound

Play Video:

Creating the Sound

Cast

Michele Austin
Michele Austin photo portrait

Michele Austin

Dr Lorna James

Shereener Browne
Shereener Browne photo portrait

Shereener Browne

Understudy Dr Lorna James

Paapa Essiedu
Paapa Essiedu photo portrait

Paapa Essiedu

Tristan

Valentine Hanson
Valentine Hanson photo portrait

Valentine Hanson

Understudy Dr Toby Sealey

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith photo portrait

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Dr Toby Sealey

Mara Huf
Mara Huf photo portrait

Mara Huf

Understudy Connie

Joseph Langdon
Joseph Langdon photo portrait

Joseph Langdon

Understudy Tristan

Taylor Russell

Taylor Russell

Connie

Production team

Writer

Lucy Prebble

Lucy Prebble

Director

Jamie Lloyd

Jamie Lloyd

Set and Costume Designer

Soutra Gilmour

Soutra Gilmour

Lighting Designer

Jon Clark

Jon Clark

Composer

Michael 'Mikey J' Asante

Michael 'Mikey J' Asante

Sound Designer

George Dennis

Movement Directors

Sarah Golding & Yukiko Masui (SAY)

Sarah Golding & Yukiko Masui (SAY)

Fight Director

Kate Waters

Intimacy Coordinator

Ingrid Mackinnon

Ingrid Mackinnon

Casting Director

Alastair Coomer CDG

Alastair Coomer CDG

Staff Director

Jonathan Glew

Jonathan Glew

 

 

Photography (Paapa Esseidu and Taylor Russell) by Johnny Ho.
Photo of Taylor Russell by Julian Ungano