Funny, powerful and emotional whilst also touching on important subject matters such as grief, loss and missed opportunities

Shifters, written by Benedict Lombe, tells a passionate story of young black love through the characters of Des and Dre. 

This was a really well written play, it was funny, powerful and emotional whilst also touching on important subject matters such as grief, loss and missed opportunities. It was very clever how they shifted from both of the characters’ different perspectives so effortlessly. The action flowed so well, making it a seamless easy watch. The transitions were very slick, it was pleasing to see the action, light and sound all work together to signify pivotal moments.

The staging of this piece really helped and added to the story telling. The audience were sitting at either side of the stage, surrounding the action and the events that were taking place. It made it feel that much more intimate, as if we were bystanders peering in on a private moment. Although at times they addressed the audience, it didn’t take away from the special space that was created. There were really great music choices in this piece, some of which made the audience want to get up and start dancing. It added to the high energy both the actors already had. The lights surrounding the stage mimicked the emotional state and vibe of the scene, which added to the atmosphere of each part of the story. 

I thought both actors, Heather Agyepong (Des) and Tosin Cole (Dre) were brilliant. Their comedic timing was on point. It was so nice to watch the pair bounce off of each other so well and keep the energy alive in the space. The way they handled emotional shifts were amazing. It was again very slick and neat. Their characters were constantly travelling back and forth from past to present to future and they did a great job in keeping the audience on track. Their actions, words and intentions were very precise so this helped to keep the audience focused and engaged throughout. The audience could really feel the love the pair had for each other so much so that they had a lot of loud verbal reactions to the couple. They all rooted for the pair’s success, for them to be together happily. Everything they did on stage was rooted in truth. There was never a dead moment on stage, even in the earned silences- which were filled with so much emotion.