Lucy Prebble's razor-sharp play about love, desire and brain chemistry, staged inside a clinical drug trial.
26/27 Season
THE EFFECT
OCT 15–25, 2026
HISTORIC THEATRE
26/27 Season
A razor-sharp play by Succession writer Lucy Prebble, that explores the chemical nature of love through the lens of a clinical drug trial.
" The Effect wrestles with the ethics of psychopharmacology and explores the intricate relationship between the heart and the brain" — New York Theatre Guide
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about
Presented by The Cultch Produced by Rumble Theatre (Vancouver) and ITSAZOO Productions (Vancouver)
Connie and Tristan sign up for a clinical trial testing a new dopamine-regulating antidepressant under close observation. As doses increase, so does their attraction. But as desire intensifies and side effects ripple through the study, one unsettling question emerges: is this love… or just chemistry?
Placing audiences inside the clinical trial, the line between genuine emotion and chemical manipulation begins to blur. Provocative and darkly funny, The Effect asks: are we anything more than our brain chemistry? And if you can't trust your heart or your mind… What's left?
Dates + Times
PWYC Preview THU, OCT 15 | 7:30PM Opening Night FRI, OCT 16 | 7:30PM Evening Shows TUES–SAT | 7:30PM Matinees OCT 18, 24, 25 | 2:00PM
Show Program
2627 Season Fall Program.pdf
Venue Info
HISTORIC THEATRE 1895 Venables St. Vancouver, BC
Accessibility
Wheelchair Access Hearing-Assistance Devices Larger, taller chairs Accessible parking No elevator access to balcony Accessible washroom facilities on the main floor See our accessibility page for details Have questions or accessibility requests? Our Box Office team is happy to help: 604-251-1363
Content Advisory
This experience contains flashing lights, haze, and loud sounds.
The production includes sexual content, adult language, discussions of depression and mental health, and portrayals of pharmaceutical trials.
Box Office
12–4p.m Sunday: closed *Door Sales & Will Call Ticket pick up: Open 90 minutes prior to performances.
Photos by Chelsey Stuyt
CREDITS
Director: Jivesh Parasram Assistant Director: Alisha Davidson Technical Director: Phil Miguel Sound Design: Jack Goodison Lighting Design: Phil Miguel Costume Design: Christine Quintana Set/Props/Projection Design: Monica Emme Intimacy Director: Lisa Goebel Stage Management: Maria Zarrillo Producers: Sebastien Archibald, Angie Descalzi, Paige Louter, Jivesh Parasram, & Maria Zarrillo Cast: Meghan Gardiner, Andy Kalirai, Paige Louter, Anthony Santiago
PRAISE
"T his production demands your attention from beginning to end "
—STir
"Prebble knows how to build tension while playing variations on her themes. The emotional arcs she has constructed for her actors are enormous, multi-textured, and challenging."
—Colin Thomas
TRAILER
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