Shifters

Last weekend I had the pleasure of seeing Shifters at the Duke of York Theatre. The play, written by Benedict Lombe and directed by Lynette Linton is a compelling love story exploring a first love and what could have been. How fitting to watch a time-travelling Black British love story in Black History Month, it is a reminder that love also can be revolutionary.

The stage setting was effectively minimalist, with black boxes and overhead lighting as the only props on hand. The lack of distractions created a very intimate atmosphere and forced you to lock in to the story.

Without tangible props or scenery to rely on, the lighting played a huge role in conveying different timestamps and emotions. This was only amplified by the seamless scene transitions acted masterfully by Tosin Cole and Heather Agyepong whose bodies would physically jolt in sync and carry us all into the past and back to the present. The stage is flooded with hues of baby blue to aptly portray their youth. This is elevated by the actors wearing blue clothing so that the flashback scenes were completely colourwashed in blue, distinguishing them from the warmly-lit scenes set in the present. I had wondered about the choice to light the scenes in the present warmly, since the context is that of bereavement and, mainly, awkwardness between Dre and Destiny. It could be that there is a warmth in reminiscing which is what the protagonists spend the entirety of the play doing in their present-day scenes, maybe this is indicative of the fondness and warmth they continue to feel for each other.  A warmly-lit present makes a welcome embrace from visiting the past, like this is where Destiny and Dre want to be.

The positioning of the stage also added a layer to the intricacy of the story. The stage was in the middle of the theatre surrounded by spectator seating on both sides. I interpreted the dual perspective of the audience as a comment on how memories are affected by how you experienced them. Audience members on the left of the stage experienced a slightly different play than those of us on the right side of the stage, with the actors facing different sides at different times. This theme of memories being altered by perspective is also brought up later in the play. Other themes included grief, love, abandonment and childhood trauma.

Shifters is a categorically well-written play. Even where the story wasn’t linear, it still fell together really well, revealing plot points at fitting junctures. The writing implemented comedy at the right moments, and the script was injected with niche cultural references that lent themselves to the authenticity of the dialogue. From the critique of Shea Moisture, to the competing cultural artefacts between countries of origin, and even playing chicken about admitting feelings; even the music accompanying the flashbacks represented the different eras so accurately. Inclusion of these Black British cultural references unapologetically speaks to that demographic and says ‘I see you.’ The conversations felt real, and I think that is what made the play so immersive, like we were flies on the wall of the reunion of a former couple we went to school with. For two actors to captivate the audience with no props bar some black boxes, it is a testament to the fluidity and engaging nature of the script.

I have to highlight what it means for both protagonists to have natural hair. In a world where dark-skinned black women being the love interest is rare and women with natural hair even rarer, it certainly struck me as an intentional choice to present Destiny in this way. ‘Desirable’ black women are mostly portrayed with lighter skin and looser curls, or even sleeked hairstyles. Destiny as the romantic co-lead, being dark-skinned with kinky coils makes a stand against the images we are fed of desirability in black women. This supplemented the relatability of the story, as many of the audience members would have seen themselves reflected, physically and emotionally in the characters.

Overall seeing Shifters was a wholesome and enjoyable experience, we all left with a warm and fuzzy feeling and a reignited hope for first love. There isn’t really any room for improvement and so for that I must give this play 5 stars.