A lot of people are understandably excited about playwright Benedict Lombe. Shifters is only her second piece, a hit transfer from the Bush Theatre, and is a smart take on a romcom that deserves its big success. The production is a credit to director (and unerring talent spotter) Lynette Linton, as well as the two cast members – Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole – who should get their mantlepieces ready for trophies.
It’s the story of Des and Dre and, as you might guess, the narrative… shifts: from schoolfriends to lovers to their breakup, and then meeting again after many years. But Shifters is also a memory play, so the action goes back and forth, flipping between that reunion and the couple’s history. Linton makes sure the toing and froing is clear (credit also to the excellent lighting design by Neil Austin), and Lombe uses the structure of her script thrillingly.
“Epic and easy”
The time travelling is great. And it gives rise to big questions. Lombe has things to say about the science of memory, and even first love, raising lots of issues about race, gender, psychology and communication. It helps that Des’s dad is a neuroscientist and that she is a visual artist. There is fresh thinking on tropes around romance – take the idea of soulmates or, rather, if you only have one, should that be sole mates? For each, Linton gives the audience time to think.
Both characters are thinkers, too. They met in debating class at school, and they appeal and excite as a result. That they are so well matched makes the show undeniably sweet, even if they end up apart. Their arguments are fun as well as profound. Nothing is heavy handed, although there are also serious events – Des and Dre have faced trauma. It is telling that Lombe’s skill makes deceased family members vivid characters. Overall, Shifters is marked by its optimism. It’s a relief to watch a play about two successful people! Even if their love didn’t work out, they have fulfilled big dreams.
Maybe their achievements help with the comedy in the piece – this is a very funny play. The repartee between Dre and Des is superb, Agyepong and Cole deliver every line perfectly and are a joy to watch. The swift changes in time, and mood, make the play a tough ask of its cast. Over the course of the years, their characters also shift. But that great sense of humour is the key. Even through heartache, Dre and Des can laugh together, and it proves impossible not to fall in love with them – and this play.
Until 12 October 2024
Photo by Marc Brenner
