Not Your Superwoman – Bush Theatre

Not Your Superwoman, stars Golda Rosheuvel and Letitia Wright; two powerhouse actresses who breathed life into Emma Dennis-Edward’s deeply moving play.

The story follows a mother and daughter, Joyce and Erica, who have grown apart over the years as they mourn the loss of their family matriarch — “Mummy” to Joyce and “Granny” to Erica. At its heart, the play is about family ties strained by silence, grief, and distance, yet bound by love and memory.

Using Guyana as its vibrant backdrop, Not Your Superwoman becomes more than just a family drama, it becomes a meditation on the importance of culture as both a source of identity and a bridge across generations. Through the music, the language, the food, and the rituals of remembrance, Dennis-Edward captures how culture is often the thread that holds fractured families together. For Joyce and Erica, Guyana is not just a place, it is home, history, and inheritance. It is where grief is softened by music, and where trauma is held alongside joy.

One moment that stood out for me was when Joyce and Erica were united in soca music, their bodies moving, their laughter unguarded, drunk on the drinks served by the mysterious Gandhi. In that scene, music became a language beyond words, a way of healing. The audience, too, was transported to Guyana, its rhythms, its warmth, its pulse.

The play also speaks powerfully to generational trauma: the wounds we inherit, sometimes without realizing it, and the ways silence or neglect can echo across time. Joyce and Erica’s fractured bond reflects a cycle familiar to many families, where unspoken pain shapes relationships, yet moments of vulnerability and connection create the possibility of healing. By placing this within the Guyanese diaspora experience, Dennis-Edward reminds us that migration, loss, and resilience often intertwine, leaving legacies that must be acknowledged if they are ever to be healed.

Not Your Superwoman is both specific and universal. It tells a story rooted in Guyanese heritage while resonating far beyond, inviting us all to reflect on how culture sustains us and how trauma, if left unspoken, can quietly persist across generations. It is a call to remember, to celebrate, and to heal.

Not Your Superwoman runs until 1st November at Bush Theatre, with tickets available at www.bushtheatre.co.uk

Reviewer: Zain Russell

Reviewed: 12th September 2025

North West End UK Rating: