Shifters

Shifters, a two-person, one-act play, takes you on a journey through their past and present. 

The scenes shift seamlessly from when they first met to the present day, where Dre (Cole) has just buried his grandmother. When Des (Agyepong) returns to his life, they are forced to confront their past and present and wonder if destiny is pulling them back together for a reason.

Agyepong and Cole's performances shine as the play progresses, welcoming the audience into their characters' lives with every minor line and expression. The minimalist set designed by Alex Barry, consisting solely of tiny boxes at Dre's deceased grandma's house, soon transforms into a graduation party. Utilising boxes reflects the characters' growth and willingness to open up to each other. With no bulky set to distract, the audience's focus is solely on the characters, their story, and the poetic words of the script by Benedict Lombe.

Morphing between the scenes is a moment of narration as the internal monologue of the characters comes out and is spoken directly to the audience. Each speech could have easily been a poem that captured their feelings at that moment being poured onto the stage for perfect observation. Each audience member was captivated by a few words of humble enlightenment before being thrust back into a scene to see how the next pivotal moment of these characters' lives would play out. This way of jumping between time and places was done extremely efficiently and is a prime example of excellent contemporary playwriting.