Chemical romance
New Zealand Listener|April 6-11, 2024
A play about treating depression and medical ethics, The Effect reunites Zoë Robins with acting mentor Sara Wiseman in a production that marks both women's return to the NZ stage after major screen roles overseas.
LINDA HERRICK
Chemical romance

A young man and woman stand face to face, staring intently into each other's eyes. Emotions are running sky high, but they have only just met. Connie and Tristan, paid volunteers in a clinical trial for a new anti-depression drug, seem to have fallen madly in love.

It might be love. Or it could be a side effect of the drug, which is firing a chemical replication of dopamine, the brain's "happy hormone", through their nervous system. Their passion may be a chemical romance, with a hangover on the horizon.

One way to find out is to step up the dosage and see what happens. However, Dr Lorna James, a psychiatrist observing the trial, becomes increasingly concerned by the volunteers' behaviour. Her supervisor, Dr Toby Sealey, a psychiatrist working for the drug company, wants to press on because there's money in the game.

This is the scenario of English playwright Lucy Prebble's drama, The Effect, being staged by the Auckland Theatre Company from April 16.

The play's central debate spins around the diverging methods - and ethics of treating depression. Dr James believes the condition is caused by external factors, like life itself, and supports therapies such as counselling.

Dr Sealey favours neuroscientific interventions using drugs. Sometimes, both approaches have to intersect.

The ATC team, directed by Benjamin Kilby-Henson, goes full-blast for this production. Sara Wiseman and Jarod Rawiri play the doctors, while Zoë Robins and Jayden Daniels are the young guinea pigs. Connie is a clever, poised student; Tristan is wild and volatile.

The play's intensifying ambience is created by designers Dan Williams and Jane Hakaraia, with a soundscape by Los Angelesbased New Zealand singer-songwriter Chelsea Jade, aka Watercolours.

This story is from the April 6-11, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the April 6-11, 2024 edition of New Zealand Listener.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM NEW ZEALAND LISTENERView All
First-world problem
New Zealand Listener

First-world problem

Harrowing tales of migrants attempting to enter the US highlight the political failure to fully tackle the problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Applying intelligence to AI
New Zealand Listener

Applying intelligence to AI

I call it the 'Terminator Effect', based on the premise that thinking machines took over the world.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Nazism rears its head
New Zealand Listener

Nazism rears its head

Smirky Höcke, with his penchant for waving with a suspiciously straight elbow and an open palm, won't get to be boss of either state.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Staying ahead of the game
New Zealand Listener

Staying ahead of the game

Will the brave new world of bipartisanship that seems to be on offer with an Infrastructure Commission come to fruition?

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Grasping the nettle
New Zealand Listener

Grasping the nettle

Broccoli is horrible. It smells, when being cooked, like cat pee.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Hangry? Eat breakfast
New Zealand Listener

Hangry? Eat breakfast

People who don't break their fast first thing in the morning report the least life satisfaction.

time-read
3 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Chemical reaction
New Zealand Listener

Chemical reaction

Nitrates in processed meats are well known to cause harm, but consumed from plant sources, their effect is quite different.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Me and my guitar
New Zealand Listener

Me and my guitar

Australian guitarist Karin Schaupp sticks to the familiar for her Dunedin concerts.

time-read
2 mins  |
September 9, 2024
Time is on my side
New Zealand Listener

Time is on my side

Age does not weary some of our much-loved musicians but what keeps them on the road?

time-read
7 mins  |
September 9, 2024
The kids are not alright
New Zealand Listener

The kids are not alright

Nuanced account details how China's blessed generation has been replaced by one consumed by fear and hopelessness.

time-read
4 mins  |
September 9, 2024