- Review Date: 27 March 2024
- Venue: Bush Theatre (Holloway Studio), Shepherds Bush, London W12
- Star Rating: ***
- Cast: Des(tiny) Heather Agyepong and Dre(am) Tosin Cole
- Writer: Benedict Lombe
- Director: Lynette Linton, Playwright and Artistic Director, Bush Theatre
- Production: Bush Theatre
- Staged By: Jerwood
A chance meeting at a funeral brings a re-uniting between Dre(am) and Des(tiny). Dre (Tosin Cole) hadn’t seen Des (Heather Agyepong) in years since their relationship ended when they were much younger. Here they were unexpectedly locking eyes at a funeral. Was tragedy going to bring this ex-couple back together? This is the essence of ‘Shifters’ which features just these two actors. Despite it being just the two of them on stage it doesn’t feel like you’re just watching two actors due to them playing multiple characters/versions of themselves as the clever use of the exciting night club, strobe lighting helps signify either them shifting into different characters or different timelines in their relationship.
The set was interesting and quite unusual. It felt more like a tennis court setting with two stands on either side separated by the stage/tennis court right in the middle. The lighting gave it the night club feel but it also represented many different settings – church, club, home, the streets etc…
Dre (Tosin Cole) and Des (Heather Agyepong)
Des and Dre veer between being old friends and a couple looking to see if they can or if they even want to rekindle the romantic sparks of old. I’m not a big fan of the constant shifting and moving between one and another character as you can sometimes lose the chronology and flow of the story as opposed to a more traditional play with numerous actors playing individual roles or the same ones dressed in different attire thus clearly signifying other characters. This jars and doesn’t allow the story to flow seamlessly and in order and felt a little all over the place at times which wasn’t ideal.
Nevertheless I couldn’t fault the acting of Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole. They were convincing in their roles, their struggle with love, desire and the situation they found themselves in. They act this out superbly via not just their words, but through well choreographed dance moves signifying closeness and distance.
It was so refreshing to see a Black love story portrayed on stage. Shifters is a play free from many of the common, negative stereotypes often shown on stage or television. There was a great deal of fun and laughter between Des and Dre and/or whoever they were being at the time! Shifters also covers deeper themes of abuse and trauma and explores the impact of past relationships on present and future ones yet to be lived.
At 90 minutes with no interval it felt a little overlong and I think it would have benefitted from having an interval in at the 45-60 minute point.
Tickets shifted so fast for Shifters that the play was soon sold out which is testimony to how audiences really enjoyed it and I Imagine there’ll be a clamour for it to return to an even bigger stage.
©Tiemo Talk of the Town
Photos © Craig Fuller Photography
Links:
- Black Out Theatre Nights: To Black Out Or Not To – That is the Question? Tiemo Opinion piece – 03/04/2024
- Keep CAMHS and Carry On as This Might not be It, Bush Theatre Review – 04/03/2024
- For Black Boys Review, Garrick Theatre Tiemo review – 20/02/2024
- Two Strangers (Carry a Cake Across New York), Kiln Theatre review – 20/01/2024
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