Calcutta Kosher, a poignant story that touches on the delicate bond between a mother and her daughters and the even more fragile links between land and identity, faith and culture, comes to Theatre Royal Stratford East from Thursday 10 June. The cast includes: Seema Bowri, Shelley King, Jamila Massey and Harvey Virdi and special guest appearance by Madhav Sharma.

Set in a crumbling house in the Indian Jewish community, Mozelle, a formidable matriarch, has decided she is about to die. On her request, her daughters Silvie and Esther return to their birth home. Although the house is unchanged, the women are. They have long since settled abroad, and their identities are marked by the need to belong in the countries of their choice. Over a Sabbath supper of Indian Jewish food, revelations are made. Silvie and Esther are forced to confront the reality of their own lives in the light of a hidden past.

Shelley Silas was born in Calcutta and grew up in north London. Theatre includes: Calcutta Kosher (Kali Theatre) at the Southwark Playhouse & UK tour; Falling at The Bush Theatre, where she was the Pearson writer-in-residence 2002; Shrapnel (Steam Industry) BAC. Plays for Radio 4: devising and co-writing The Magpie Stories, Calcutta Kosher and The Sound Of Silence. She is co-adapting The Raj Quartet (with John Harvey) and Hanan al-Shaykh's novel, Only In London also for Radio 4 to be broadcast in 2005. Current work includes Moses Mohammed for the Bush and Partitions for Tamasha Theatre. She has compiled and edited a short story anthology, Twelve Days, to be published in November 2004 by Virago. Shelley is the writer-in-residence for Clean Break's 2005 production. Calcutta Kosher is directed by Kali artistic director, Janet Steel.

Cast includes Jamila Massey (who starred in Moti Roti Puttli Chunni at Stratford East and is perhaps best known as Auntie Satya in Radio 4's The Archers) and Shelley King (who recently appeared as 'the bitch' Kitty in Bombay Dreams).

Theatre Royal welcomes the opportunity to work with Kali Theatre Company for the first time and is delighted to be bringing Calcutta Kosher to its stage after its sell-out national tour. Stratford East, set in the heart of Newham, the most ethnically diverse borough in the UK, is the most appropriate venue to present this tale that touches on relationships between Hindus, Muslims, Indians and Jews.

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