DOCTOR WHO's Billie Piper Makes National Theatre Debut in THE EFFECT Tonight, Nov 6

DOCTOR WHO's Billie Piper will make her debut at The National Theatre in London opposite Jonjo O'Neill in Lucy Prebble's The Effect, set to begin performances tonight, Nov. 6. Headlong Theatre company's Rupert Goold will direct the co-production with the National.

The story centers on two pharmaceutical trial volunteers who meet at a clinic. Piper and O'Neill are joined on stage by Tom Goodman-Hill and Anastasia Hille.

Piper is best known for playing the role of Rose Tyler, companion to the Doctor in the long-running TV series Doctor Who, in 2005 and 2006. She also starred in Belle de Jour and the TV series Secret Diary of a Call Girl. Piper was last seen on stage in Michael Attenborough's Reasons to Be Pretty at the Almeida.

Goold has directed Richard II for BBC's Hollow Crown Shakespeare film series and is set to debut his first feature film True Story, starring Jonah Hill and James Franco. Following the film's release, Goold will direct the musical adaptation of American Psycho (adapted by Roberto Aguirre-Sacasa and featuring music and lyrics by Duncan Sheik) for the Almeida in 2013.

Pictured: Billie Piper in Reasons to Be Pretty. Photo credit: Keith Pattison.