(4.5 / 5)

Image Credit Mark Douet

Seren Hamilton has a searing, visceral professional debut in this new Welsh language version of ‘Iphigenia in Splott.’ From the moment she stalks across the stage, hovering her hands over a standing lamp and watching as it lights beneath her hands, to the final devastating lines delivered to the audience, the piece crackles with ferocity and emotion that transcends any language barriers.

As a Welsh learner I had slight trepidation about keeping up with the furious venom that is delivered rapidly towards the audience members, but I needn’t have worried; the subtitles ensured that a ‘dysgwyr’ like myself was able to keep up easily without having to take my eyes off the unfolding plot. The language is of the street, English and Welsh slang tumbling together to create a dialect that truly reflects the way that the Welsh language lives and breathes with the benefit of making it accessible for someone like me.

Lighting is expertly designed by Katy Morison, inspired by Splott itself. The large blank wall at the back of the stage enables the lighting to become its own entity, bringing the streets of Splott to life with ease. The sound too, (ably created by Tic Ashfield) is created from actual recordings of sounds about the area, creating the music and ugly, yet symphonic world that Effie inhabits. The overall set design is simple, but truly effective; the mattress, the chair and lamp, emphasising Effie’s isolation and the desolation of her environment.

Based on Greek Goddess, Iphigenia, the theme of sacrifice is strong throughout. It’s not just the sacrifices that a single young woman makes though, but the sacrifices of community of Splott and the wider sacrifices of the working class of Wales and even further afield. The themes are initiated with Effie informing us all that we ‘owe her’ and that she’s come to collect her debts, and it echoes throughout the hour and half. Mentions of the soldier trying to put together his life again after a catastrophic accident; small mentions of shops closing down and flats stacking up; Nan working in the Co-Op even though she’s in her seventies and the ultimate sacrifice that Effie makes for us all, her community, the people who would turn away and see her only as a ‘nasty skank.’

This play is a vital part of Welsh theatre now, having made its debut at this very theatre in 2015, there is no denying its impact and it’s fantastic to see it delivered in its ‘native tongue.’ It is no mean task for a director and an actor to approach a piece that’s almost a decade old now and so important to the theatrical make up of Wales, but Director Alice Eklund breathes new life into the piece, capturing the energy and lifeblood of Splott, paying homage to the original but creating a new version to stitch into the tapestry of this ongoing story.

Seren is exceptional in the role; she owns the stage, stalking, dancing, crawling across it, delivering her lines directly to audience members without hesitation or apology. This then gives way to a softer, tragic side of Effie as she struggles to come to terms with her feeling of ‘not alone’ and what that means to her and for the rest of her life. As she reaches the peak of the performance and the true sacrifice that Effie makes, you can hear a pin drop in the studio space of the Sherman, and no one can tear their eyes away. It is a striking, assured debut and I cannot wait to see what she does next.

Ultimately, I am so glad that I overcame my sensitivities around my less than perfect Cymraeg and took the plunge to watch Iphigenia yn Sblot; this is such an important piece of theatre and remains as poignant in its message today as it was almost 10 years ago. The Sherman’s goal of ‘telling local stories with global resonance’ is truly alive and well and delivered with expert hands in this newest production. Llongyfarchiadau pawb!

SHIFTERS features cast members Heather Agyepong (Des) and Tosin Cole (Dre) who embark on a fierce romance that exudes intimate, passionate and delicate connection. Playwright; Benedict Lombe & director Lynette Linton sets the temperature of familiarity, similarity and technicality perfectly between these characters of shared African ethnicity & British nationality.

The tale of SHIFTERS speaks on the power of Black love rekindling, reigniting, reappearing and rewinding after time has passed & the redeemable that occurs once time has been given space to heal, grow & expand, with the possibility of creating room for further reasoning; whilst simultaneously changing the taboo on how Black actors allow themselves to become vulnerable, open and transparent within close proximity, changing the narrative on how blackness is defined and articulated intimately due to what gets commonly denied within mainstream media when it comes to the unseen portrayal of Black characters romanticising globally.

The producers of Shifters joined forces with Idris Elba, Maya Jama and Little Simz to move this unique production from the Bush theatre to the West End, their collaboration payed off swimmingly.

As this production nicely incorporates reflective elements of Ghanian & Congolese culture, with both characters enriching & powerful characteristics highlighting their distinctive rich Western African cultural discussions and interactions exploring the depths of their cultural music, Afro-beats, traditional food, sense of humour; reminiscent of traditional African movements and songs imitated through outer expression playfully capturing the deeper expansion of their chemistry and admiration of Black culture, in the midsts of them balancing talks around their personal current circumstances alongside their shared and unforgettable cherished moments together before they’d parted ways.

SHIFTERS is simply an exploration of Black love, however this time around it is told through the lens of the black man & woman’s worlds falling apart, unifying & resisting before eventually shifting into beautiful nuances whilst intrinsically tapping into each others energy & wavelength that’s personable, identifiable, relatable and adaptable bouncing off each others backgrounds, similar worlds and common play grounds from children into adults.

SHIFTERS perfectly foretells the shifting nature of love, when two become one, separate and coincidentally reconnect. Whilst silently dealing with hidden shadows that may lowkey exist within black bodies due to trauma, complexities and untapped minds creating difficulty in communicating despite wanting to be truly seen by each other irrespective of past hindrances affecting the minds state at present, keen on being understood and loved when re-examining the courage to open up to one another about underlying past pain, false pretence, multilayered by in-built personalities, revealing all when in a safe space todo so.

True humanity & acceptance is strongly themed in this play, willingly practising the power of letting go if & when necessary whether its down to contently finding love elsewhere or in transit of shifting zones where past love affairs no longer serves you by both, therefore obeying the matters of the hearts orders to move on and wish each other well before departing ways once again. Overall, SHIFTERS is a perfect description of what the nature of Black love refers, connects and amounts to both wholly and soulfully. Highly recommend!