The casting for the Sheffield University Theatre Company (SUTCo) production of Lucy Prebble’s The Effectreunites four of the previous semester’s Margaret Beaufort: Kingmaker company.
Directed by Emilia Lodge (The Importance of Being Earnest, Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like It) and assisted by SUTCo Treasurer Amaara Qureshi (The Importance of Being Earnest, Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like It), all four cast members of The Effect had prominent roles in the most recent SUTCo production, with three-quarters playing prominent cast members.
In an Instagram post last night on both the main SUTCo page and on the production’s specialised page, the production team revealed their “amazing cast and prod team”, as well as teasing additional content in the coming weeks, to much excitement from SUTCo members.
Moving from one leading role to another, Tilly Harradine (Margaret Beaufort: Kingmaker, Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like It), recently seen as the titular Margaret Beaufort, is set to return to the Drama Studio stage as Connie Hall, one of the two drug trial participants in the story.
Having held prominent leading roles for each SUTCo show she has been cast in since joining the group in 2023, Harradine is set to continue her trend in March’s production, with many expecting her performance to be another show-stopper.
Joining her on this drug trial plotline will be Roberto Rowinski (Margaret Beaufort: Kingmaker) as Tristan Frey.
Having played Reginald Bray as his SUTCo debut earlier this month, Rowinski and Harradine have already performed opposite one another and are set to reprise this chemistry in The Effect.
Moving from a supporting role to a leading part, Rowinski will be playing his largest role in the society in March.
Also going from leading role to leading role is Jamie Egan (Margaret Beaufort: Kingmaker), who will be playing Dr Toby Sealey, one of the leading medical practitioners leading The Effect’s drug trial.
Having recently played Richard III in his SUTCo debut, Egan was recently named ‘Actor of the Semester’ by a vote of SUTCo members for his portrayal, and will be joining his Margaret Beaufort: Kingmaker counterparts in The Effect, as well as being joined by SUTCo’s Front of House Manager Abbie Wright (Margaret Beaufort: Kingmaker, Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like It), completing the cast as Dr Lorna James.
Written by University of Sheffield alumna Lucy Prebble, The Effect is a play detailing a drug trial with two participants, and the two supervising medical practitioners, who must overcome their own anxieties, personal feelings and desires regarding both the trial, and each other.
Directed by Lodge and Qureshi, the show’s production team is completed by Abby Broido (The Importance of Being Earnest, Medea) as Producer and Grace Lowe (The Importance of Being Earnest, Shakespeare in the Park: As You Like It) as Production Manager.
Set to be staged in the University of Sheffield Drama Studio in March, the show’s cast announcement marks only three months until the play premieres, and the cast return to the Drama Studio following this semester’s production.
With The Effect being the first semester two SUTCo production to reveal their cast, the anticipation of more details and opportunities for interested students to get involved is building, as the latest SUTCo cast begin their journey from page to stage.
SUTCo’s The Effect will be playing at the University of Sheffield Drama Studio from March 12th to March 15th 2025. Tickets are available here
