Review: SHIFTERS, Duke of York’s Theatre

Photo credit: Marc Brenner

Benedict Lombe’s Shifters is a moving exploration of love, memory and loss told through the story of Dre and Des, reunited after eight years apart.

We meet Dre (Tosin Cole) toward the end of a wake for his nana, who brought him up after his mother moved back to Nigeria. As he is wryly observing the scrum at the buffet table, in walks Des (Heather Agyepong), and, as Dre observes, “memory is made skin”.

The scene immediately shifts back 16 years to Dre being in Year 12 in a new school and meeting Des for the first time. Self-described by Des as the only “two little Black kids” in the school, they form an alliance and join the debating society together. From there, the narrative switches between the events of a few hours in the present and those of several years past, charting the twists and turns of their relationship.

Shifters is a hugely generous production. Generous writing explores the human condition, generous direction gives the writing and actors room to breathe and two generous performances establish relatable characters. Even the pared back staging is generous in the way it allows the audience to focus intensely on the story. And if all this sounds like the play is weighed down by such gifts, far from it. Along with laughs and heart-wrenching reveals, Shifters has a lightness that makes the 105 minutes run-time fly by.

Benedict Lombe’s script deftly explores a range of issues. Her main themes are the impact of first love, memory of it, and whether or not one believes in destiny. Dre is clearly on the side of fate, Des more questioning – she is, after all, a conceptual artist. And if you expect Lombe to settle on an easy answer to the question of fate or luck, then as Des would say “you’re asking the wrong question”.

Through the particulars of Dre and Des’ lives, Lombe also explores loss and grieving, parents and parenting, and most importantly what it is to live in a Black body, and how that means, particularly for girls, having to be constantly on alert.

The magic of Lombe’s writing is in how she makes her characters’ articulation of these themes sound so natural, so unforced. Des or Dre hardly ever voice something that seems out of character or shoe-horned into a speech to make a point.

Of course, however strong an author’s writing is, bringing it to life requires an equally strong company. While it is easy to admire the visible skills of Agyepong and Cole, equal credit has to be given to the creative team behind the scenes. Lynette Linton’s direction ensures both characters are fully rounded, and Shelley Maxwell’s movement and intimacy direction capture the awkwardness of young love. The colour changes in the ceiling’s frame of suspended strip lights, designed by Neil Austin, helps the audience keep track of shifts in time and emotions. Tony Gayle’s sound design and Xana’s compositions add to a dream-like mood without ever being overpowering.

The simple set by Alex Berry (also costume designer) makes great use of black-coated archive storage boxes. Initially seats, as the play unfolds the boxes reveal props, the narrative seemingly then driven by surprise as to what is unpacked. Dozens more boxes stacked at the stage’s far side walls hint at a myriad of other memories yet (or never) to be accessed, and adds to the naturalistic, improvisational feel of the dialogue. Suppose a different box were randomly selected and opened? What story would emerge then?

And last, but by no means least, to the actors. Agyepong and Cole both create believable, lovable, flawed characters. Dre and Des’ differing heritages – his Nigerian, her’s Congolese – give the actors much to spar and bond over. Embodying their younger selves through subtle changes of stance and mannerisms, echoes of these changes shape the older characters. Both performances make it easy for everyone to become involved in Des and Dre’s story: the laughs, whoops and gasps from the audience bearing testament to this.

Shifters is everything great theatre should be – moving, thought-provoking and life-affirming.

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Mike Askew

Shifters plays at the Duke of York’s Theatre until 12 October, with tickets available here.