Shifters

A fierce, funny and intoxicating play about the enduring power – and fragility – of memory and love. Published alongside the 2024 West End transfer.

'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... a perceptive and exhilarating blend of fast, smart banter and philosophical sensitivity... Lombe's touching, emotionally intelligent and contemporary black British love story is itself easy to fall in love with'

'A play with real heart and soul... Shifters builds its own distinct world and organically incorporates ideas around abuse, grief, family trauma and the Black body alongside its questions about love and fate'

'Pretty much the perfect bittersweet rom-com... a fresh and delightful romantic drama, beautifully written and acted'

'An exquisitely poetic romance... Lombe's writing is suffused with wit and warmth... 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'

'A bittersweet, woozy rom-com... smouldering and soulful... Lombe is a beautiful, nuanced and soulful writer and this is a romance overflowing with heart'

'The future of British Theatre, right here, right now'

'Alive and unpredictable... every moment feels on the pulse, humour blowing away sentimentality... I can't remember being in the theatre when each new twist was accompanied by so many squeals, exasperated sighs and urgings-on'

'Confident and compelling... a play unafraid to take its time, unfolding with careful tenderness... Shifters features one kiss in particular which you're unlikely to see the equal of onstage this year'

'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'

'A beautifully realised, touching two-hander that redefines the romcom'

'An epic romcom that has West End audiences swooning... inventive, emotionally astute writing... a love story with big themes woven through it... a brilliant addition to the growing body of hit West End plays by Black writers'

'Glorious, tender and profound'

'Heartwarming and devastating... Generating instant audience investment and a complex couple to root for, Shifters is an affecting romcom full of sharply observed behaviours'

'Sharp, fast-moving and authentic in its characterisation... a tightly structured, intelligently written play, devastating in moments of laid-bare emotion... A gorgeous, natural piece of writing from an undeniable talent, Shifters will break hearts, piece them back together again'

'Fiercely sharp and deeply moving... heart-wrenchingly powerful... a theatrical triumph'

'It's heart-wrenching. It's unapologetically romantic and is the black love story that's been missing from the stage'

'A deeply perceptive piece from an undeniably talented writer'

'Dazzling... An absolutely intoxicating piece of new writing'

'Clever, funny and deeply touching'

'From an educational standpoint, this play has plenty of scope for students. It's the perfect text if you're looking for contemporary duologues that show good range, with two strong, nuanced black characters [that] jump straight out of the page; they're witty, complex and the chemistry they share is palpable... there's also plenty of space for students to play with how they stage it'

Benedict Lombe's other plays include Lava , also for the Bush Theatre, which won the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize for Playwriting, and received universal acclaim.