Shifters

Shifters Synopsis

'Something is shifting between you - again.
Something terrifying - and comforting.'

Dre and Des. Young. Gifted. Black. He stayed. She left.

Years later, Des and Dre come crashing back into each other's lives, carrying new secrets and old scars. Caught in the space between memory and reality, they struggle to navigate the shifting borders that threaten to rewrite their past and reshape their future.

Shifters is a fierce, funny and intoxicating celebration of the enduring power of first love. Benedict Lombe's play premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2024 to enormous critical acclaim, before transferring to the Duke of York's Theatre in London's West End, where it was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best New Play, and won Best Production (Play) at the 2025 Black British Theatre Awards.

This edition, with a text revised by the author, was published alongside the play's North American premiere at Cherry Lane Theatre, New York, in 2026, directed by Lynette Linton and starring Heather Agyepong and Daniel Ezra.