It is eleven years since Lucy Prebble’s play about volunteers for medical research was seen in London.  Since then she has been credited with writing on the hit series Succession.  Jamie Lloyd has assembled the most talented black cast for his energising new production in the National Theatre’s reconfigured Lyttelton.  You won’t recognise the traditional proscenium arch theatre in this traverse stage with an audience raked up on either side.  

At either end the doctors are mostly seated, on my left, the remarkable Michele Austin as Dr Lorna James the psychiatrist in charge of the day to day administration of the trial.  At the other end is the compelling Kobna Holdbrook-Smith as the psychiatric consultant Dr Toby Sealey in over all charge and Lorna James’ superior.  Dr Sealey will be well paid by the drug company trialling the drug.

In the centre of the black traverse but illuminated by a rectangle of white light by Jon Clark, both dressed in grey tracksuits are the medical guinea pigs, Paapa Essiedu as Tristan and Taylor Russell as Connie.  It is the simplicity of the bare monochrome set and the stark lighting which makes us concentrate hard on what is being said and who says it.