The critically acclaimed West End play Shifters is set to make its North American premiere at Cherry Lane Theatre in New York this summer.
Written by Olivier Award-nominated playwright Benedict Lombe and directed by BAFTA-nominated theatre-maker Lynette Linton, the production follows sold-out runs at the Bush Theatre and the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End.
Previews begin on 6 July 2026, with an official opening on 15 July, and performances running through to 30 August.
Shifters is an epic contemporary love story exploring memory, identity and young Black British love.
The play centres on Dre and Des, two gifted young people whose lives diverge when he stays and she leaves, only for them to collide years later carrying both new secrets and old scars.
Heather Agyepong reprises her Olivier Award-nominated performance as Des, having received widespread acclaim for the role in the original production.
She stars opposite Daniel Ezra, who takes on the role of Dre, marking a major stage return following his success on screen.
Reflecting on the journey of the play, writer Benedict Lombe said:
“When I was invited to write a Black British love story for the stage by our director Lynette Linton, I thought a lot about the existing canon in this genre. Who gets to be viewed and celebrated as a romantic lead? Whose cultures and histories are brought into focus? Who gets to be audacious? Who gets to be complex and flawed and funny and intelligent and joyful and fully human? SHIFTERS was born from this intentionality and specificity – a universal love story between a British Congolese woman and a British Nigerian man – that demanded nothing less than to shift the theatrical canon. Both onstage and offstage. We’ve journeyed from West London to the West End. And as we now make our way to the West Village, I’m so thrilled to be bringing the love story of Des and Dre to Cherry Lane Theatre – the most audacious theatre in town. See you there.”
Director Lynette Linton added:
“We made Shifters because we wanted to see and celebrate Black British love on stage. We made Shifters because we wanted to take up space. Bringing this show to Cherry Lane, all the way to New York, means the show is taking up more space than we could have imagined. Come we go! Benedict writes dialogue and romance in a way that no one else can, and it is my privilege to get to direct her words again. We can’t wait to share this romantic, epic, timeless story with new audiences. I hope you are all ready for Des and Dre.”
The production is presented by Eleanor Lloyd Productions and Chuchu Nwagu Productions in association with Sonia Friedman Productions.
Shifters was originally commissioned by the Bush Theatre, with support from the Jerwood Foundation.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
