Shifters, Duke of York’s Theatre Review

Heather Agyepong & Tosin Cole in Shifters. Photo by Marc Brenner

Written by Chelsea for Theatre and Tonic.

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in return for an honest review. All opinions are our own.

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Following its sold-out run at the Bush Theatre, Shifters has found a new home at the Duke of York Theatre.

Questioning love and the complexities within it, the play tells the story of first love and the imprint it can leave on one’s soul. Benedict Lombe’s play follows the relationship between Des and Dre. Jumping through time, it begins at Dre’s grandmother’s wake, 8 years after their last encounter, and perfectly peels back the layers of their relationship with flashbacks of how they met, fell for one another, ghosted one another, became a couple, broke up, and how they shaped who they are in the present moment. It also explores the complexity of relationships and how they are not only about what you create together, but what you bring into the relationship through your own lived experience.

The play structure draws similarities to Constellations by Nick Payne. Scenes cut off and begin suddenly, but you are never unaware of where you are in time and this is in part due to Alex Berry’s set design and Neil Austin’s lighting design. Though minimal, the effect of the traverse stage with the floating lights gives the feeling of closeness and allows the audience to really engage with these two characters. Not one flicker of a light is wasted or meaningless. With only the change of colour, the audience knows which time period we are in.

The direction of the play by Lynette Linton should also be noted. She has created an ease in the movement of the piece that brings the past to the present and vice versa. Small little moments like the raising of a hand by 32-year-old Des to say hello reverts us back to 16-year-old Des raising her hand in class.

The major standout of this two-hander has to go to the actors though. They glide through the show with so much joy and grace that you sometimes forget you are watching fiction. The chemistry between Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole is palpable and seeps out into the audience where you are holding your breath to see where they take you next. Their performances both together and individually show that these actors will be around for a very long time.

Shifters is a heartwarming, tragic and hugely funny piece of theatre that shows the depth of what love can be. Running at only 100 minutes with no interval, the time flies by and leaves you wanting more.

At Duke of York’s Theatre until 12 October 2024.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★