A hilarious and hard-hitting new one-man show, Dial 1 for UK, comes to Scarborough’s Stephen Joseph Theatre next month.
The bold and urgent story about migration, identity and belonging is written and performed by Mohit Mathur and directed by Phil Willmott.
The production plays at the Stephen Joseph Theatre at 7.45pm on Wednesday 27 May.
Dial 1 for UK follows Indian influencer and devoted UK superfan Uday Kumar, known as UK, who dreams of life in Britain while answering calls at a New Delhi helpline.
Filling his YouTube channel with fantasies of fish and chips, tea with the royals and a sophisticated new life, UK finally seizes a chance to make his dream a reality.
A week later, he boards his first-ever flight to London, only to be confronted by the stark realities of immigration and the brutal conditions of the UK care sector.
What unfolds is a poignant and comic examination of high hopes humbled, addressing why hundreds of young men like UK disappear without a trace each year.
The show invites audiences to rethink assumptions about migration through the eyes of a first-time playwright and West End performer.
Mohit Mathur said: “Dial 1 for UK is my way of holding up a mirror to the dream of migration, the fantasy of life in the West, and the reality that so many of us face when we arrive. The grass is not always greener on the other side, but we still choose to be here and contribute. It’s funny, painful, and deeply personal. I want South Asian audiences to see themselves on stage, but I also want all audiences to question how we treat those who come here in search of a better life.”
Developed in 2024 through Vital Xposure’s Well Springs Writers Programme, supporting Deaf, disabled and neurodivergent writers, Dial 1 for UK received the Keep It Fringe Grant before a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
The production completed a UK tour in Autumn 2025 and now embarks on a second tour ahead of a visit to Canada later this year.
Listings and ticket information can be found here.
