Written by Charli for Theatre and Tonic

Disclaimer: Gifted tickets in exchange for an honest review. All views are our own

Assata Taught Me is a fictional two-hander originally produced by The Gate Theatre in 2017. This month, the play has been revived at Riverside Studios, and it is just as relevant now as it was nearly ten years ago.

The story follows Assata Shakur, the American activist, author, and former Black Panther member who lived in exile in Cuba until her death in 2025. Played by Susan Lawson-Reynolds, she is a powerful but tender woman, and Lawson-Reynolds gives a magnetic and emotionally driven performance.

The play opens with Assata having rescued 21-year-old Fanuco from getting caught up in a fight. He is a young Cuban man obsessed with America and the freedom and financial abundance that the American dream offers. Played by Ebenezer Gyau, he gives a compelling performance, completely endearing in his youthful naivety, and his cheekiness is something that you can’t help but adore.

Set in Assata’s home in Cuba, the simple layout splits the stage in two, providing the perfect parameters for Assata and Fanuco’s bond to be explored. What begins as Assata simply helping Fanuco improve his English, quickly becomes something deeper, offering life lessons that appear to reignite Assata’s sense of purpose and Fanuco’s coming of age.

The 75-minutes flew by as both Gyau and Lawson-Reynolds did a fantastic job of commanding the audience’s attention throughout the play. It’s always refreshing to see an intergenerational and non-familial relationship unfold on stage and I felt the pair had incredible chemistry together. When they started doing a chant to celebrate their African heritage, dancing together on stage, I was completely mesmerised by their energy - they seemed to put their whole heart and soul on stage for us to witness and I felt that was very precious. These additions of music and dance throughout the play kept the momentum for a story that carries quite heavy themes. Similarly the dialogue is interwoven with jokes and remarks that add a lighthearted touch that is very welcome and makes you appreciate this very human bond.

I also felt the lighting design by Chuma Emembolu and sound design by Jose Guillermo Puello did a fantastic job of highlighting both the tender and more tense moments in the storyline, further lifting its emotional resonance.

Overall, writer and director Kalungi Ssebandeke has done an incredible job of creating a dynamic and very human relationship between Assata and Fanuco which is a joy to witness. The political and cultural significance to the story also makes it vitally important - as much today as it was ten years ago.

Assata Taught Me plays at Riverside Studios from 12 - 24 May 2026

★ ★ ★ ★

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