Michael Cox reviews ‘a good night out’.
The Skarsgard Effect is a very funny production that leans into the silly and eagerly wants to make its audience laugh. That in itself is a breath of fresh air and makes this a high recommendation.
Fringe theatre has always been a great place for new talent to rise up and be heard. Alas, many of these productions skew heavily on the political or autobiographical spectrum, many times both. This usually results in performances that are earnest but a bit too close to the bone for objectivity that lean too much on life lessons and a hope for change—if not for the audience, then for the artists themselves.
No so here. What we have is a scenario that might stretch its concept a bit too far but manages to get away with it. Emilia, Linda and Natalie are triplets (who look nothing alike—but honestly, who cares?) who have never met their father. Their mother has given them the surname of the sperm donor in question: Skarsgard. While a common enough surname in Scandinavia, might their father actually be THE world-famous Stellan Skarsgard?
The play isn’t as concerned with a ‘who’s the daddy’ storyline as it is with questions of fame. What IF their father were that famous Skarsgard? Think of the opportunity? Think of all the doors that could open? Think of how easy it could be to exploit the shallowness of social media and fame culture?
The cast of four are a bundle of energy from the start, and they are an absolute delight to watch and spend time with. Ellen Eklund, Charley Crooks and Nualla MacGregor play the three sisters—Ewan Little plays (as credited) everyone else. Together, they are an absolute hoot. The scenarios in Eklund’s script are ridiculous, but they still play out with an impressive gag hit rate. Director Sarah Marie Mooney keeps the pace and manages to make the small studio space work, particularly in the more farcical moments.
Sure, art should always look at current events and question where we’re going in society. Art should stand firm for justice and give voice to the oppressed and the ignored. The themes of overreliance on AI and need for fame are points within this production, but neither of these overwhelm the joys of the performance or manage to bludgeon the audience, as is so often the case.
Sometimes, audiences just want a good night out, and that’s exactly what The Skarsgard Effect gives. It’s smart enough to know how stupid it all is, and that makes it all the funnier.
The Skarsgard Effect performs at theSpace@Niddry St (Studio) at 17:05 (55mins) until 25 August 2026. For further details, go to the website.
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