Premiere of two plays by Gopi Warrier at Steiner Theatre

Theatre of Devas and New End Theatre present the world premiere of two new plays, Ego of the Yogis and Polyester Lordship, by poet and playwright Gopi Warrier, at the Steiner Theatre, a fringe venue in north west London, from 1 to 24 April 2014.

The two plays are running alongside each other and are directed by Alex Crampton. Design by Helena Rosas and Zafar Iqba, lighting and sound by Julien Bernard. Cast includes Sarah Hall, Sanjiv Hayre, Tim Heath, Lloyd Morris, Gillian Kirkpatrick, Tim Hilborne, Paul Casson-Yardley.

Ego of the Yogis centres on an upper class English woman's quest for true love and her search for a spiritual teacher. Disillusioned by her marriage she meets an Indian teacher briefly who tells her that all life is an illusion and only through yoga and meditation can one attain liberation from the cycles of birth and death. To find the teacher again she encounters a number of fake gurus and becomes more and more disenchanted with the contemporary world of spiritual seekers until her secret obsession is resolved unexpectedly.

The corrupt nature of many acquisitions and mergers involving international businesses in most countries, but particularly in Asia, is explored in Polyester Lordship. The play takes the audience through the murky negotiations for the acquisition of an Indian textile factory. Aggressive executives from London deal with the shady underworld - but also honourable characters, both British and Indian, who demonstrate principled corporate responsibility to workers and the local community. An evolving relationship between two of the directors brings an element of love and compassion into the tense and very dangerous developments in the factory and the city of Mumbai as the deal progresses.