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Dre and Des. Dream and Destiny.
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 romance about the enduring power of first love. Benedict Lombe's play premiered at the Bush Theatre, London, in 2024 to enormous critical acclaim.
This edition, with a text revised by the author, was published alongside the play's North American premiere at New York's Cherry Lane Theatre in 2026, directed by Lynette Linton and starring Heather Agyepong and Daniel Ezra.
“So good—laugh-out-loud funny and tears-to-the-eyes moving… Grounded in cultural specifics but universal in its appeal, Shifters is a mercurial, quick-witted yet poetic examination of love, memories and grief…Lombe's touching, emotionally intelligent and contemporary black British love story is itself easy to fall in love with.”
—The Times
“A play with real heart and soul…Shiftersbuilds its own distinct world and organically incorporates ideas around abuse, grief, family trauma and the Black body alongside its questions about love and fate.”
—Guardian
“Pretty much the perfect bittersweet rom-com…a fresh and delightful romantic drama, beautifully written and acted.”
—Evening Standard
“Shifters skillfully tackles everyday issues–from mental health to grief to class inequality–without ever laying them on too thick. At the heart of this drama is the connection between the two leads, at once electric and sweetly endearing.”
—Telegraph
“A bittersweet, woozy rom-com…Lombe is a beautiful, nuanced and soulful writer and this is a romance overflowing with heart.”
—Time Out
“The future of British Theatre, right here, right now.”
—Arts Desk
“Alive and unpredictable…every moment feels on the pulse, humour blowing away sentimentality.”
—Observer
“Confident and compelling…a play unafraid to take its time, unfolding with careful tenderness.”
—WhatsOnStage
“Distils the giddy wonder of falling in love for the first time…a tender, cosmic and cleverly unpredictable love story that will leave you wishing for a sequel.”
—The Stage
“Heartwarming and devastating…Generating instant audience investment and a complex couple to root for, Shifters is an affecting romcom full of sharply observed behaviors.”
—Reviews Hub
“Sharp, fast-moving and authentic in its characterization…a tightly structured, intelligently written play, devastating in moments of laid-bare emotion… A gorgeous, natural piece of writing from an undeniable talent.”
—All That Dazzles
“Fiercely sharp and deeply moving…a theatrical triumph.”
—Theatre and Tonic
“It's heart-wrenching. It's unapologetically romantic and is the black love story that's been missing from the stage.”
—London Theatre Reviews
“A deeply perceptive piece from an undeniably talented writer.”
—The Spy in the Stalls
“A powerful exploration of identity, destiny, and romance…the kind of love story you cannot help but root for and the soul connection many crave.”
—Broadway World
“Dazzling…An absolutely intoxicating piece of new writing.”
—The Arts Despatch
“A gorgeous piece of storytelling…funny, grounded in authenticity and full of bittersweet tenderness…As only the third Black British woman to have a play in the West End, Lombe makes her mark as one of its most exciting and distinctive voices.”
—The Stage
“A beautifully realised, touching two-hander that redefines the romcom.”
—Financial Times
“Inventive, emotionally astute writing…a brilliant addition to the growing body of hit West End plays by Black writers.”
—Independent
“Clever, funny and deeply touching.”
—The Upcoming
Benedict Lombe is a British Congolese writer and theatre-maker based in London. Her plays include: Shifters (Bush Theatre London and West End, 2024; Off-Broadway, 2026) and Lava (Bush Theatre, 2021). Lava, her debut play, won Best Performance Piece at the 2022 Offies (Off West End Awards) and the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize in 2022. Lombe also won the Book and Lyrics Recognition Award at the 2021 Black British Theatre Awards. Shifters won Best Production (Play) at the 2025 Black British Theatre Awards. Lombe won the 2025 Clarissa Luard Award, chosen by the novelist Alan Hollinghurst.