THEATRE PREVIEW

SEPTEMBER 2026 | Volume 267

 

The Effect returns to Vancouver this fall at The Cultch

A love story as strange as it is seductive is coming to The Cultch. The Effect runs in the Historic Theatre from October 15–25, 2026. Following its well-attended debut at Progress Lab last year, Rumble Theatre and ITSAZOO Productions look forward to having audiences — new and old — experience this razor-sharp play once more. The Effect, written by the globally-acclaimed Lucy Prebble (Succession, I Hate Suzie), explores the intricately human relationship between head and heart, and the ethics of psychopharmacology.

“I think this play — in a very compelling and compassionate way — offers a very accurate depiction of depression. It really asks us whether mental illness is something to be 'fixed,’” said Jivesh Parasram, Artistic Director of Rumble Theatre and Director of The Effect. “When we alter our brain chemistry, is what we're feeling real or is it the medication? And for whose benefit are we medicating — the patient? Family? Or the society that has made the patient a problem? Having lived with severe clinical depression most of my life, I think these are questions that never really go away. And I'm willing to bet that, whether you know it or not, someone in your life is living with them too.”

The Effect centres around clinical test subjects, Connie and Tristan, whose attraction to each other intensifies with increasing doses of the dopamine-regulating antidepressant they’re trying. As side effects ripple through the study and the lines between fact and feeling blur, unsettling questions emerge about what emotions are genuine and what can be manipulated. If you can’t trust your heart or your mind, what’s left?

Vancouver-based talent Paige Louter and Andy Kalirai are reprising their roles as Connie and Tristan respectively, alongside Meghan Gardiner as Dr. Lorna James and Anthony Santiago as Dr. Toby Sealey. Under the direction of Jivesh Parasram, The Effect promises “a non-stop 90-minute ride…that never repeats itself and, at times, delivers genuinely harrowing moments” (Stir). Provocative and darkly funny, this is a chilling love story/thriller made for suspense seekers.

“The intensity of this theatre experience is extremely heightened by the minimalist staging, lighting and stellar performances” —Jo Ledingham

“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, Fresh Sheet Reviews

Director: Jivesh Parasram
Assistant Director: Alisha Davidson
Technical Director: Phil Miguel
Sound Design: Jack Goodison
Associate Sound Designer: Mishelle Cuttler
Lighting Design: Phil Miguel
Costume Design: Christine Quintana
Set/Props/Projection Design: Monica Emme
Intimacy Director: Lisa Goebel
Fight Director: Olivier Lunardi
Stage Management: Maria Zarrillo
Producers: Sebastien Archibald, Angie Descalzi, Paige Louter, Jivesh Parasram, & Maria Zarrillo
Cast: Meghan Gardiner, Andy Kalirai, Paige Louter, Anthony Santiago

EVENING PERFORMANCES, 7:30 PM
Thurs, Oct 15 — PWYC Preview
Fri, Oct 16— Opening
Sat, Oct 17
Tues, Oct 20 — Talkback/Community Night
Wed, Oct 21
Thurs, Oct 22
Fri, Oct 23
Sat, Oct 24

MATINEE PERFORMANCES, 2:00 PM
Sun, Oct 18 — Talkback
Sat, Oct 24
Sun, Oct 25

WHERE: Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St., Vancouver, BC

TICKETS: Tickets from $39. Tickets on sale now through The Cultch’s Box Office: 604-251-1363 or https://thecultch.com/event/the-effect/  

ABOUT RUMBLE THEATRE:
Rumble creates, presents, and produces contemporary performance. Working in a decentralized collective model, Rumble is committed to prioritizing projects and initiatives that utilize art to expand collective imagination, collaboration, and build a deeper understanding of relationality and community.

ABOUT ITSAZOO PRODUCTIONS:
ITSAZOO Productions creates immersive, dynamic theatre events for daring audiences. They support this with five core values: Immersion, Challenge, Fun, Integrity, and Community. Whether it’s a fly-on-the-wall, immersive experience or a participatory, site specific event, ITSAZOO can create theatre for anyone, anytime, anywhere. They don’t want their audience to just watch the story. They want the audience to experience the world of the story; to live through it.

ABOUT THE CULTCH:

Since 1973, The Cultch (formerly the Vancouver East Cultural Centre) has been one of Vancouver’s most diverse and innovative arts and cultural hubs. The organization operates three theatrical venues, a gallery, and various ancillary spaces in the heart of East Vancouver. Offering dynamic contemporary works in theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts, The Cultch brings world-class presentations to thousands of citizens each year through its own programming and rental opportunities for community users. The non-profit’s purpose is to provide a venue for performance, serving a diverse and engaged public, creating space for artistic experimentation and development, and building an audience for cutting-edge local, national, and international work.

 

 

 

 

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