Golda Rosheuvel and Letitia Wright lead powerhouse production Not Your Superwoman at the Bush Theatre – extended due to early demand
With a cast that reads like a blockbuster headline and a subject matter that cuts straight to the generational bone, Not Your Superwoman storms into the Bush Theatre this September – and, thanks to soaring ticket sales, has already extended its run until 1 November, weeks ahead of its world premiere.
Written by Funeral Flowers playwright and acclaimed screenwriter Emma Dennis-Edwards, and directed by outgoing Bush Theatre Artistic Director Lynette Linton, the two-hander stars Golda Rosheuvel (Bridgerton) and Letitia Wright (Black Panther) in a blistering exploration of inheritance, womanhood, and the cyclical nature of trauma. Previously titled Superwoman Schema, the reworked play lands with all the dramatic heft and intimacy that has come to define the Bush’s cutting-edge new writing output.
The plot centres around Joyce and her daughter Erica, two women grappling with the aftermath of their matriarch’s death. The grandmother, ever-present in absence, has left behind a tangled emotional legacy that neither Joyce nor Erica seems equipped to face – despite years of therapy, journalling, and “doing the work.” As cracks appear in the curated lives they’ve tried to build, an urgent question emerges: are they truly breaking the cycle, or just dressing it in recycled language?
“We wanted to explore how deep-rooted generational trauma can be, even when we believe we’ve done everything possible to evolve beyond it,” says Dennis-Edwards. The story draws strength from its specificity – from a Black British mother-daughter dynamic full of love, friction, and unspoken pressure – yet taps into something universally unsettling: the quiet fear that no matter how far we run from our past, we might be walking in its footsteps all the same.
Bush Theatre has long been a champion of the kind of work that doesn’t just mirror its community but interrogates it. Linton, whose final season at the Bush this marks, has consistently amplified voices pushing British theatre forward, helming shows like Sweat, Shifters, and Blues for an Alabama Sky with fierce intelligence and cultural clarity. Her pairing with Dennis-Edwards brings together two formidable storytellers, now joined by performers equally at the top of their game.
Rosheuvel, a stage veteran made internationally recognisable by Netflix’s Bridgerton and its spin-off Queen Charlotte, returns to her theatrical roots in a role that requires both fire and finesse. Wright, meanwhile, makes her highly anticipated return to live performance following critical acclaim in screen roles from Small Axe to The Silent Twins. Her stage presence, last seen in The Convert at the Young Vic, promises to electrify audiences once more in this emotionally demanding turn.
With a creative team that includes set and costume design by Alex Berry, movement direction from Shelley Maxwell, a score by composer XANA, and lighting design by Jai Morjaria, the production builds an immersive world around two women unravelling in real time. Sound designer Max Pappenheim and vocal coach Hazel Holder help shape a sonic landscape that is as emotionally charged as the script itself.
There’s also no shortage of accessibility in the planning. Not Your Superwoman will include captioned, audio-described, and relaxed performances throughout the run. The team’s commitment to inclusion echoes the play’s broader theme: the desire to be truly seen, without precondition or performance.
Tickets :
Not Your Superwoman
Previews: £15-20
From 13 September: £15-35
Concessions available.
Tickets can be booked at bushtheatre.co.uk or the Box Office on 020 8743 5050.
Elena Leo is the Culture & Lifestyle Editor of Ikon London Magazine.
