Tosin Cole's new project is a heartwarming tale of Black love
Shifters spoilers follow.
Benedict Lombe's Shifters tells the story of how two Black secondary school sweethearts, Dre (Supacell and Doctor Who star Tosin Cole) and Des (The Power's Heather Agyepong), rekindle their complex romance after years apart.
Dre, a Brit with Nigerian roots – whose opening lines are reminiscent of that of the Fresh Prince of Bel-Air – moves in with his Nana to avoid getting into trouble back home and subsequently joins the debate club at his new school.
That's where he meets Des, a British Congolese girl and the middle-class daughter of a neurologist, who catches his ears and eyes.
We first meet the two together at Dre's Nana's funeral, where Des has flown in from New York after years away living out her dream of being an artist. They're 32 years old now, and reminiscing on the good times together from their teens to early adulthood.
After some initial awkwardness and banter, Lombe's play begins to show us their complex, electric love story by moving us back and forth in time with the use of colourful strip lighting and anecdotes from throughout their lives that slot together seamlessly.
Dre realises his culinary talents through his love for Des, and in the present day, he shows her his newly-opened Nigerian-Congolese restaurant in their home town. He explains to Des that there's "not an egg in sight" – a tongue-in-cheek joke which bears no context until we're transported back to their teenage years.
We see Des react horribly to the smell of a plate of eggs and cinnamon that Dre makes for her, and both Dre and the audience later come to understand why the smell of that particular food triggered such potent distress for her.
Cole and Agyepong perfect the couple's relationship with a healthy mix of banter, jealousy and love. They both do a fantastic job of commanding the stage and audience with only a small number of props and no supporting actors.
Throughout the play, their energy bounces off one another and subsequently into the audience. You can feel the tension when there's a need for it, and the real love when it's felt between the two – I almost forgot this was fiction.
Their teenage kiss – though giddy at first – reveals the passion that can be seen through the rhythm of time, leaving the audience hoping for more in their later years.
The constant shifts between past and present are cleverly executed, adding drama to Dre and Des' story as it becomes more intertwined.
They can't escape the love they once had, and the questions they left unanswered. "Why did you leave?" he asks at one point, and she responds: "Why didn't you ask me to stay?'
Along the way, there are unexpected curves and emotional revelations as Dre and Des learn more about how their lives have changed while they've been apart, intertwined throughout with their loving quips and banter.
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Shifters marks a ground-breaking moment for Lombe, who's the third Black British female playwright to have her play staged in London's West End.
It ultimately shows us the importance of how who we connect with in our lives can shape and ultimately shift our futures, through a heartwarming tale of Black love.
Shifters is playing at the Duke of York's Theatre in central London until October 12, following its sold-out run at The Bush Theatre. Tickets are available from only £20 plus booking fees, via retailers including ATG Tickets and LOVEtheatre.
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