Stage revival 'Assata Taught Me' stars Susan Lawson-Reynolds and Ebenezer Gyau

Scriptwriter and filmmaker Kalungi Ssebandeke will helm the revival of his 2017 play, Assata Taught Me, which will be staged at Riverside Studios in London from May 12–24.

First put together by The Gate Theatre in 2017 and directed by Lynette Linton (RSC The Boy Who Harnessed Wind) with Adjoa Andoh (Bridgerton) and Kenneth Omole (Testament) featuring, the show in 2026 will be the initial revival of the play.

The revival is a joint venture between Lucie Lutte (Phone Killer) of LLUTTE Productions and Ssebandeke’s Sse So Productions.

Susan Lawson-Reynolds (Three Little Birds, Luther: The Fallen Sun) will portray Assata Shakur, an American activist, writer, and former Black Panther who lived in refuge in Cuba until her passing in 2025. 

Opposite Lawson-Reynolds will be Ebenezer Gyau (Suspect), portraying Fanuco Maceo, a dissatisfied Cuban man unaware that his mentor is worth $2 million to the authorities.

The imagined two-character drama features an elderly Assata Shakur still in exile on a restless Caribbean Island, approached by a local 21-year-old eager to pursue the American Dream. Shakur passed away in September 2025 at the age of 78. 

Cuban sources indicated her passing was due to aging and health issues. The news of her death sparked extensive discussions on the US government's role in the legal matters that resulted in her exile.

Shakur was found guilty of the murder of a New Jersey State Trooper in 1977 and handed a life sentence. 

She persistently maintained her innocence, with numerous medical experts attesting in court that her injuries during the fatal incident corroborated her claim she couldn’t have shot the officer. 

A mere two years following her sentencing, three members of the Black Liberation Army, masquerading as visitors, aided her escape from Clinton Correctional Facility for Women in New Jersey. 

She subsequently surfaced in Cuba, where the government of Fidel Castro provided her refuge.

“This play has never been more pertinent as it now introduces new audiences to the often untold narrative of The FBI’s Most Wanted Woman,” Ssebandeke expressed in a release.

The production has acquired partial funding from Cyril Nri (Cucumber).

Assata Taught Me debuts on May 12, 2026, and continues until May 24, 2026, at Riverside Studios in West London. The press evening is scheduled for May 13.