Idris Elba, Maya Jama and Little Simz Join Producing Team of SHIFTERS in the West End

Award-winning actor Idris Elba, broadcaster and entrepreneur Maya Jama and Brit Award and Mercury Prize-winning musician and actor Little Simz have been announced as producers for the West End Transfer of Bush Theatre’s production of Shifters.

These powerhouse names from across the worlds of stage, television, film and music join forces withEleanor Lloyd Productions, Chuchu Nwagu Productions and Sonia Friedman Productions to bring Benedict Lombe’s intoxicating new romance to London’s West End following its sold out run at  the Bush Theatre earlier this year. Directed by Lynette Linton, the play runs for a strictly limited 9 week season with previews from 12 August, the official opening night on 21 August and running until 12 October.

Idris Elba says: “This play is so well written by Benedict Lombe and so well performed by Heather Agyepong and Tosin Cole we feel very very privileged to be a part of its transition into the West End.” 

Maya Jama says: “I’m so excited to be a part of bringing Benedict Lombe’s beautiful play, SHIFTERS, to the West End. I fell in love with the play the moment I read it – I feel like I know these characters, I know their story, and it’s also really wonderful to be able to see yourself represented in art, that’s the most important part of it. I really hope you fall in love with these characters and their journey as much as I have.”

Little Simz adds: “I first saw Shifters at the Bush Theatre on the last night of the run. I was moved to tears by this play. Tosin and Heather spoke Benedict's words with such conviction and truth. Their performances were exceptional. I'm so glad it's showing again in the West End as this is a really important story that needs to be told. Get your tickets now before it's too late!”

Producers Eleanor Lloyd, Chuchu Nwagu and Sonia Friedman comment: “We are so thrilled to welcome these three brilliant and unique creatives into the Shifters producing family. Idris, Maya, and Simz all represent the top tier of British talent from the worlds of acting, music, fashion, broadcasting and so much more. Each of them brings something special to the table, and share our passion and excitement for seeing Bene’s beautiful play take its rightful place in the West End.” 

Shifters is this summer’s sizzling romantic stage play starring Heather Agyepong (Amazon’s The Power; School Girls; or The African Mean Girls Play, Lyric Hammersmith) and Tosin Cole, star of Netflix’s hit new release Supacell and BBC’s Doctor Who. Both reprise their electrifying performances, which received critical acclaim in the original Bush Theatre production, at the Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London.

The powerful trio of new producers are announced alongside a brand new West End initiative which will champion Black British creatives with the launch of a pop-up bookshop dedicated to uplifting and showcasing the canon of Black British playwriting, literature and poetry. The Shifting The Narrative Bookshop, in partnership with Nick Hern Books, ATG Entertainment West End Creative Learning, Hachette UK, and Pan Macmillan, and in support of Free Books Campaign, Black Minds Matter UK, and Sistah Space, will be stocked with titles that shift the narrative of Blackness away from trauma, and instead focus on Black joy, love, futurism and celebration. Running from 12 August until 20 August (excluding Sunday 18 August), the bookshop will be located in the outer foyer of the Duke of York’s Theatre, with opening times to be announced. Titles will be supplied by Nick Hern Books, Free Books Campaign, Hachette UK, and Pan Macmillan and will be available to purchase with a recommended donation of the RRP but will be free to those whose circumstances are financially challenging.   

Sofia Akel, founder of Free Books Campaign says: “Storytelling is at the heart of our work - from poetry to theatre, literature to music and more, making stories accessible is essential. We’re honoured to celebrate various forms of written art, with a focus on Black Joy, love and futurism in partnership with Shifters, Nick Hern Books, Hachette UK and Macmillan - bridging stories across art forms.”

Danielle Bridge, CEO of Black Minds Matter UK says: "This initiative is a celebration of storytelling's power to reshape perspectives, featuring authors who are redefining the narrative around the Black experience. By amplifying these voices, we aim to inspire and educate, fostering a richer, more inclusive literary landscape."

Sistah Space says: “Sistah Space is pleased to be a part of Shifting the Narrative Bookstore. As a specialist charity dedicated to Black African and Caribbean heritage female survivors of domestic and sexual abuse, our mission is centered around shifting narratives on what a victim looks like. We welcome stories like Shifters that centre Black stories to help Black audiences and Black women feel seen.”

Matt Applewhite, Managing Director of Nick Hern Books says: “As the proud publisher of Bene Lombe's Shifters – and dozens more brilliant plays by Black British writers, we are delighted to be supporting this urgent and joyful initiative sharing  and celebrating  these stories and voices even more widely.”

Hachette UK’s THRIVE Network say: “We are so excited to be partnering with the Shifting The Narrative Bookshop to celebrate not only the success of SHIFTERS, a gorgeous sophomore play from Benedict Lombe, but to bring people together to engage in Black joy, culture and creativity.”

Previews for Shifters commence on Monday 12 August with tickets from £20. For the first four weeks of the production, 50% of tickets will be available at £40 or under. Audiences will also have the opportunity to experience the production from the intimacy of the stage with on-stage seating for every performance.

This epic and universal love story is about the enduring power of memory and first love. Meet Dre and Des, they are young, gifted, Black. He stayed. She left. Years later they 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’ transfer to the Duke of York’s Theatre, St Martin’s Lane, London marks a ground-breaking moment for Benedict Lombe who follows in the footsteps of Natasha Gordon (Nine Night) and Yasmin Joseph (J’Ouvert) as the third Black British female playwright to have her play staged in the history of the West End. 

Set and Costume Design by Alex Berry, Lighting Design by Neil Austin, Sound Design by Tony Gayle, Composition by Xana, Movement and Intimacy Direction by Shelley Maxwell, Production Dramaturg is Deirdre O’Halloran, Voice Coach is Joel Trill and Casting by Heather Basten CDG.

Shifters was originally commissioned by Bush Theatre, supported by Jerwood Foundation

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