Idris Elba, Little Simz and Danai Gurira have come on board as producers for the North American, Off-Broadway premiere of Shifters, Benedict Lombe’s acclaimed romance, opening this summer at Cherry Lane Theatre in New York’s West Village. The play follows sold-out runs at London’s Bush Theatre and the West End’s Duke of York’s Theatre.
Elba said in a statement, “Benedict Lombe has crafted a masterpiece of modern romance, and I am proud to see it cross the Atlantic. With the brilliant Heather Agyepong reprising her role alongside the exceptional Daniel Ezra, bringing this play to the historic Cherry Lane Theatre is a milestone moment for Black British storytelling in New York.”
Little Simz added, “I first saw Shifters at the Bush Theatre on the last night of the run. I was moved to tears by this play.” Gurira said, “As a Zimbabwean-American playwright, I am passionate about championing stories of the Black Diaspora. Shifters is a beautiful and complex exploration of Black love. How rarely do we get to see Black love stories!”
What is ‘Shifters’ about?
According to the official description, the play follows Dre and Des — “young, gifted, and Black. He stayed. She left. Years later, they come crashing back into each other’s lives, carrying new secrets and old scars. Caught between memory and reality, they must navigate the shifting borders that threaten to rewrite their past and reshape their future.”
Heather Agyepong reprises her acclaimed role as Des from the original productions, opposite Daniel Ezra as Dre. The production is directed by Lynette Linton.
When does ‘Shifters’ open at Cherry Lane Theatre?
Previews begin July 6, with opening night July 15. The production runs through Aug. 30 at Cherry Lane Theatre, 38 Commerce St., New York. Tickets are available at cherrylanetheatre.org.
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