The Skarsgård Effect at theSpace @ Niddry Street Review
A set of triplets with the last name Skarsgård use their surname (along with the help of ChatGPT) to fool the world into believing that they are the daughters of the famous Swede. The Skarsgård Effect explores how nepotism (even if fabricated) does truly put people with no talent into the spotlight just because of who their parents are.
Led by a strong cast, the piece is able to give each sister the space to be distinguishable by the audience, and also to develop and progress in their individual arcs. A particular example that I thought worked quite well doing this was how Ellen Eklund’s Emilia was the sister who mainly interacted with the audience, showing off their communicative nature compared to her sisters. Whilst Ewan Little seamlessly shapeshifts between podcaster, Skarsgård, and my personal favourite, a David Attenborough-like narrator, all aided by a trusty desk chair filled to the brim with props.
The piece, written by Eklund, is able to quickly and effectively tell the story, still giving enough time for comedic elements. Yet the comedy never deters from the plot, always helping it along instead of halting. I will say that I do wish that the AI/ChatGPT plot point was explored more, or even brought back in the second half with its exploitation of the girls’ emotional states. But I can understand with fringe shows being on the shorter side that it’s better to stay with the main plot instead of continuing to divert off it.
The Skarsgård Effect establishes its cast and crew well within the fringe community, all four actors shining through the piece. However, I would have liked certain plot elements to be explored more due to the current culture climate.
★ ★ ★ ★
Written by Kerry for Theatre and Tonic, August 2026.