Shifters @ the Cherry Lane

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The Play: Shifters; it's basically just a when-will-they-get-together romcom about a working-class Nigerian British man named Dre; and an upper-middle class Congolese-British woman named Des (short for Destiny) but it's so sweet and engaging that it's easy to see why this two-hander was nominated for the Oliviers’ Best New Play alongside such heavyweights as Kyoto, Fear of 13 and Giant  

Written by: Benedict Lombe        Directed by: Lynette Linton

One good thing: Part of what makes this one so special is how it portrays its black characters as people with the kind of everyday problems everyone shares instead of treating them as avatars for various social issues and although the Olivier-nominated Heather Agyepong was out at my performance, Daniel Ezra is so totally charming as Dre that it’s impossible not to route for him

One not-so-great thing: The constant jumping back and forth over the couple’s nearly two-decade-long relationship can make it difficult at times to keep of track of what’s happening when

 

 


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