Guru of Chai

India, her culture and her traditions, hit the performance mainstage with the release of Slumdog Millionaire in 2008. Since then, many film and theatre writers have used this mysterious red and sandy country as the dramatic backdrop for their next epic, but few have executed a project as authentic and skillful as Justin Lewis and Jacob Rajan. Their play Guru of Chai opens at Q Theatre on July 11th, and it brings with it a heap of acclaim.

Described as a romantic thriller, the Guru of Chai is about a poor chaiwallah (tea seller) who has his life changed forever when a young girl is abandoned at a busy railway station and brings the place to a standstill with the beauty of her signing. Without giving away too much, an honest young policeman falls hopelessly in love but is rejected in favour of a disreputable poet. It's a fascinating story with plenty of unexpected turns. The contradictions of India with its iPhones and ancient gods come alive in this outrageously funny and heartbreakingly beautiful story. 

Produced by theatre company Indian Ink, founded by the two writers Lewis and Rajan. Rajan won Best Actor in the 2010 Chapman Tripp Theatre Awards for The Guru of Chai, and the production also took out the award for Best Play and Best Composer. The reviews have been overwhelmingly positive, with most imploring readers to book seats immediately. With those kinds of recommendations, how could we not go?