No longer booking

★★★★★ “Tender, thrilling and elegantly brutal” – The Stage

A major new revival of acclaimed play The Effect by Lucy Prebble (Succession) is now playing at the National Theatre starring Paapa Essiedu and Taylor Russell.

Lucy Prebble’s funny and intimate examination of love and ethics is directed by Jamie Lloyd (Cyrano de Bergerac, A Doll’s House).

The cast includes rising stars Paapa Essiedu (I May Destroy You, The Capture) as Tristan and Taylor Russell (Bones and All, Lost in Space) as Connie.

The Effect is playing in the Lyttelton theatre at the National Theatre to 7 October 2023.

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 romance poses startling dilemmas for the supervising doctors.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Taylor Russell
Taylor Russell

Who is in the cast of The Effect?

Paapa Essiedu stars as Tristan, Taylor Russell as Connie, Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as Dr Toby Sealey, and Michele Austin as Dr Lorna James.

Other cast include Shereener Browne, Valentine Hanson, Mara Huf, and Joseph Langdon.

Paapa Essiedu (Photo by Ruth Crafer) and Taylor Russell (Photo by Julian Ungano)

Who are the creative team of The Effect?

Directed by Jamie Lloyd with set and costume designer Soutra Gilmour, lighting designer Jon Clark, composer Michael ‘Mikey J’ Asante, sound designer George Dennis, movement directors Sarah Golding and Yukiko Masui (SAY), , fight director Kate Waters, intimacy co-ordinator Ingrid Mackinnon and casting director Alastair Coomer CDG.

Important Notes

Notes:

Latecomers cannot be admitted and there is no re-admittance to the theatre during this performance. 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.

Venue Information

National Theatre - Lyttelton Theatre , Upper Ground, London, SE1 9PX

Nearest Tube or Train: Waterloo (Jubilee line, Northern line, Bakerloo line)

Nearest Buses: 1, 4, 26, 59, 68, 76, 139, 168, 171, 172, 176, 188, 243, 341, 521, X68, RV1

Directions

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Critics' reviews of The Effect

★★★★★ "Tender, thrilling and elegantly brutal" - The Stage

★★★★ "Lucy Prebble’s intense and intoxicating encounter" - The Guardian

★★★★ "A fiery play that explores and questions 'lab-made' love" - The Telegraph

★★★★ "Paapa Essiedu is all compelling, shambling, vulnerable charm" - The Independent

★★★★ "A mind-bending experience" - The Evening Standard

Also see: The Effect Reviews Round-up

Frequently Asked Questions

The Effect is playing at the National Theatre - Lyttelton Theatre in London
The running time of The Effect is 1 hour 40 minutes (no interval)
Yes, The Effect has matinee performances on the following days: Wednesday, Saturday
No, sorry, The Effect has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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