Heather Agyepong to join Tosin Cole in Shifters at the Bush Theatre

Final casting and the creative team have been announced for Shifters by Benedict Lombe at the Bush Theatre.

Already announced is Tosin Cole (Doctor Who), who will star as Des.

He will be joined by Heather Agyepong (The Power, School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play) as Dre.

Shifters is a brand new play from the Black British Theatre Award winner and Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for Playwriting winner Benedict Lombe (Lava), and directed by Bush Theatre Artistic Director, and multi-award winner, Lynette Linton (August in England, Clyde’s, Blues for an Alabama Sky).

The wider creative team includes: Set and Costume Designer Alex Berry; Lighting Designer Neil Austin; Sound Designer Tony Gayle; Composer Xana; Movement Director Shelley Maxwell; Casting Director Heather Basten CDG; Voice Coach Joel Trill; Costume Supervisor Malena Arcucci; Production Manager Chloe Stally-Gibson; Company Stage Manager Crystal Gayle; and Assistant Stage Manager Hayley Bowman.

Billed as a fierce romance for anyone desperate for a different kind of love story, Shifters sees tragedy brings Des and Dre crashing back into each other’s lives, carrying new secrets and old scars.

Director Lynette Linton said in a statement: “Having Bene back is so dope. We love her, we trust her – and she also trusts us. It feels like a match made in heaven, and we knew that she was going to write a show that was going to absolutely bang. Working with her on Shifters – it really struck me why we make these shows and what our function is. At the Bush, we provide artists with a platform, and the space to develop and grow. Our job is to give them all the right opportunities so that they can jump off that platform and fly. Ultimately, as they move on to bigger realms and higher echelons as Bene has, they know that they can always come back, and that love is ongoing. We wanted the opportunity to celebrate Black love in its entirety and commissioned this new show with that in mind. It has been so amazing exploring that with Bene, who writes dialogue and romance in a way that no one else can. Our first conversations focused a lot on how it is to be a whole person – experiencing love. We discussed how to express that ‘wholeness’ in regard to Black characters that are so often reduced to an assumed monolith. We wanted to see what would happen if we focused on two individuals, exploring their own sense of selves – right out to the peripheries. We spent a lot of time discussing what it is to ‘shift’ through time and space – recognising different versions of ourselves. The difference between even the first and second draft was huge, and we got to see Bene grow to really trust herself and arrive at what she does best. She has such a talent for finding the poetry of each character and really understanding their voices. When people see Shifters, I think they will leave with a fresh perspective on relationships – and what happens when you throw out the rule book. I can see people leaving with a lot of questions to apply to their own life: about decisions they have made, people they should reach out to. So much of the show is about how someone can totally alter your understanding of yourself, and how that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Also I can’t wait to work with Tosin and Heather. What incredible actors we have to tell this story!.”

Shifters is playing at the Bush Theatre from 16 February to 30 March 2024.

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Main photo: Shifters at the Bush Theatre - Heather Agyepong & Tosin Cole