East of Suez

East of Suez opens in a dazzling Peking where temple ritual, street bustle, and expatriate society collide under the pressures of empire. At the center is Daisy, restless and detached, drifting through a world of custom, desire, and divided loyalties that seems both seductive and suffocating. Somerset Maugham's play follows her among British and Chinese characters whose private longings are sharpened by race, class, and the uneasy glamour of life abroad. A Buddhist service, a visit in full Manchu dress, and a sudden street attack drive the drama from atmosphere into crisis. Harry's concern for Daisy, George Conway's injury, and the old amah's meddling uncover a web of misunderstanding and hidden motives. As suspicion grows, the household's emotional fault lines deepen until the amah reveals a devastating truth: she is Daisy's mother, and the play turns from social intrigue to family reckoning, exposing shame, abandonment, and buried history. Amid the tension, humor and sharp observation linger, especially in scenes with George, Harold Knox, and Sylvia, before a vivid Manchu wedding procession carries the story onward. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.