WISH-LIST WEDNESDAY: Shifters

Perhaps the newest show I have ever featured in this weekly spotlight, and certainly the most recent to close in the west end, "Shifters" is a critically acclaimed one-act play written by Congolese writer Benedict Lombe, only the third play by a black woman to be staged in London's theatre capital.

Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole (credit:

A new work that premiered at the Bush Theatre in 2024, transferring to the Duke of York's Theatre later that year, "Shifters" is Lombe's second major piece of theatre, that has earned her a nomination for best new play at the upcoming 2025 Olivier Awards, making her the first black woman to achieve this feat.

The play itself is a two-person love story, between Dre and Cole, initially lovers as teenagers but reconnecting 8 years later. Alongside themes of love and reconnecting, there is also more heavy subject matter, as Lombe explores grief, trauma and abuse in all its ugly glory. Whilst plays feature heavily in my own schedule, I sadly was not able to fit this one in, so have to hope it makes a return in some guise.