DIAL 1 FOR UK Will Come to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre

The new one-man show, Dial 1 for UK will come to Scarborough's Stephen Joseph Theatre next month. This bold and urgent story about migration, identity, and belonging is written and performed by Mohit Mathur, and directed by Phil Willmott, one of the UK's most experienced theatre makers. 

The show, which can be seen at the SJT on 27 May, follows an Indian influencer and devoted UK superfan who makes his dream move to London, only to be confronted with the stark realities of immigration.

Every night in New Delhi, Uday Kumar (UK) answers panicked calls to the Goldmine Crypto GB Helpline, fantasising about being British himself, filling his YouTube channel with visions of a sophisticated new life of affluence, fish and chips and tea with the royals. 

Then a chance conversation one tea break reveals how he might make it all a reality. And at dawn a mere week later, he leaves the call centre forever and boards his first ever flight, to take his place amongst the English.

What happens next is the subject of Mohit Mathur's hilarious and poignant one-man play of high hopes humbled in Hounslow and an influencer stripped of influence amidst the brutal reality of the UK care sector, asking how and why, each year, hundreds of young men like UK vanish without a trace.

This is a rare chance to rethink much you've assumed about those who hope to live amongst us in a first piece from an exciting new playwright and West End performer.

Mohit Mathur says: “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 went on to receive the Keep It Fringe Grant, leading to a successful run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and a UK Tour in Autumn 2025. The production now embarks on second UK tour, before heading to Canada later this year.