The Effect
Bille Brown Studio
QTC has adopted Lucy Prebble’s play, The Effect, for its Australian premiere, directed by Sarah Goodes. It’s a play that delves into the darkest depths of the mind, looking at how far a person can go in terms of sanity, destiny, neurology and loyalty.
The brain, arguably our most important organ, is largely understood by those who study it, despite it having been under intense focus for centuries. Because of its mystery and intrigue, the mind has made for a timeless subject to be explored over and over again. And because so much of its inner workings is still unknown, those who present it are free to take liberties in the name of artistic license.
The Effect tells the story of Connie, a psychology student, and Tristan, who volunteers for the same clinical trial as her. While they’re cut off completely from the outside world for the duration of the trial, serious chemistry develops between them, which intersects with secrets the supervising clinicians want to keep off-limits.
It’s the second in a line of theatrical hits for Prebble, who’s fresh off her successful Broadway run of Enron, but also for Queensland Theatre Company: they’re still riding the high of the critically-lauded Macbeth, which was directed by Michael Attenborough. The saying may be “good things come in threes”, but not for QTC and Prebble. In this case, they don’t need that many tries to get something right.
And if you act fast—the play is selling out its Brisbane season—you can be one of the people in the know about this theatrical secret. It opens at The Wharf Theatre in Sydney, but you can catch it first at Bille Brown Studio from 7 June to 5 July.
