The 2012 Olympics spells eviction for the generations of Romany Gypsies living in East London. 17-year-old Pearl Penfold is one of them. As the bulldozers close in, Pearl falls in love with Joe, a boy from the local estate. Her quest to find “what’s in me blood” and his desire for acceptance propel us into a hidden world, as they strive to stay together. Can Joe prove himself to Pearl and her family before they are gone forever?

Shraddha is a topical new play by Natasha Langridge, who has spent two years researching Gypsy stories around the UK, visiting sites, meeting families and gaining an insight into their lives. The 2007 eviction of generations of travellers and Romanies in Hackney inspired the backdrop to the play and acts as a metaphor for the precariousness of life for this community in the UK and beyond.

Shraddha is directed by Lisa Goldman, Artistic Director of Soho theatre.