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The Effect

by Lucy Prebble
A co-production with the Shed, 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

3 — 31 March 2024
This show has now ended
The event location is

The Shed

545 West 30th Street, New York, NY 10001

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 transfers to the Shed, New York 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 3 — 31 March 2024 in the The Shed.

★★★★★

‘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

11 Reviews

Suitability

Please note: The running time is 1 hour and 40 minutes, without an interval.

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

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

Two people sitting in a rehearsal room, looking off to the left.
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

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

Creating the Sound

Cast

Michele Austin
Michele Austin photo portrait

Michele Austin

Dr Lorna James

Paapa Essiedu
Paapa Essiedu photo portrait

Paapa Essiedu

Tristan

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith
Kobna Holdbrook-Smith photo portrait

Kobna Holdbrook-Smith

Dr Toby Sealey

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

George Dennis

Movement Directors

Sarah Golding & Yukiko Masui (SAY)

Sarah Golding & Yukiko Masui (SAY)

Fight Director

Kate Waters

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