Shifters, Bush Theatre Review
Heather Agyepong (Des) and Tosin Cole (Dre) in 'Shifters' at Bush Theatre. Photo by Craig FullerWritten by Zoe for Theatre & Tonic
Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review.
Written by: Benedict Lombe
Directed by: Lynette Linton
Fiercely sharp and deeply moving, Benedict Lombe’s Shifters is about Des and Dre; friends. Lovers. Soulmates. But as they shift through time and memories, their pain, trauma, and complexities are revealed, box by box.
The play opens with Dre[am], played by Tosin Cole. He’s 32, at his Nana’s wake. Standing on an empty stage other than four black boxes, he speaks about the buffet, and about the aunties and uncles that were meant to be leaving hours ago. There’s a warmth about this opening scene, as he immediately connects with the audience. He’s soon joined by Des[tiny], Heather Agyepong. Little dialogue is exchanged between the two, but we know there’s a deep-rooted history between the pair just from their body language and the space between them, “And in this moment, I-you-are both here and there and time is moving and standing still”.
From the funeral to being back in Sixth Form, the scenes traverse back and forth over the entirety of their relationship, constantly shifting. The transitions were slick, and the pace was fast yet slow and sustained in all the right places. Towards the end of the production, these scenes became shorter, and snappier until we were merely seeing moments between the two. It became unclear as to where in their timeline these moments took place, but it didn’t matter because it was as though time itself had started to blur.
Neil Austin’s lighting design was beautifully subtle yet highly effective. Beams of ominous blue hung from either side of the stage and outlined the space. From cool blues and warm yellows to bright reds and greens, Austin’s lighting undistractedly distinguishes the pivoting scenes and reflects the continuously changing emotion. As friction develops between Dre and Des, the beams of light fade, leaving the stage in almost darkness.
Alex Berry’s set is completely stripped back; a black, mirror-like stage with black boxes that are taken on and off as the production progresses. Cleverly, this means the focus is naturally on the dialogue.
Cole and Agyepong are magnetic. They deliver Lombe’s poetic yet punchy text with ease, confidence, and passion. The duologue is captivating throughout, and Cole and Agyepong seamlessly slip in and out of inner monologues, giving depth to their characters and the story.
Despite the witty dialogue and laugh-out-loud moments, a sense of pain and trauma underpins this play. Dre has lost his brother and the person who raised him, and Des is grieving her mother and processing abuse. Perhaps it’s this loss that deeply connects them.
One of the most memorable moments of the play is when Des vulnerably talks about “living in a black body and trying to become aware of the way your body interacts with the world”. Being told at ten years old that “you could be fifteen”, and at fifteen “you’re a grown woman”. Audience members verbally agreed as Agyepong performed this, which made the scene even more heart-wrenchingly powerful.
Despite their different life trajectories, Des and Dre keep finding their way back to one another. The ending is left ambiguously and almost incomplete, circling back to one of the most beautiful lines of the play; “..like there’s no beginning or end – only shapes that shift for eternity from this life and into the next”.
Lynette Linton has masterfully taken Lombe’s raw and relevant writing and has created a theatrical triumph.
Shifters is playing at the Bush Theatre until 30th March 2024
☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆
