Dial 1 for UK

27th – 28th July 2024

Sometimes you are lucky enough to stumble upon a little gem, and this was a polished diamond. Written and performed by Mohit Mathur, and directed by Phil Willmott, Dial 1 for UK is a one-man show and was performed at Riverside Studios on 27th & 28th July as part of Bitesize Festival. It documents the dreams and sometimes sad reality of the immigration experience to the UK.

Mathur hails from India, and cut his teeth working in the Indian film and theatre industry as an actor, dancer and choreographer, before performing in the West End’s Life of Pi and as the lead actor in Beyond Bollywood. He has also been lead performer in touring musicals Mumbai Nights 2 (Louvre, Abu Dhabi), Bollywood Magic (China) and Indika the show (UK).

Dial 1 for UK follows the journey of crypto GB helpline call centre worker Uday, from a Great Britain-loving YouTube influencer in India, to a full-time carer for Major Robinson, a retired Royal Fusilier in his 90s, in Hounslow, South West London, aided by AI assistant Serena. 

The set comprises two bookshelves either side of a wall with red lines leading to black and white photographs of people who we learn about throughout the play. The excitement of his first time on a plane, “They even have sick bags!” to arriving in the UK where “the air is clear and the roads aren’t even dirty”, has been Uday’s dream since he was a child. “Sunday roast, fish & chips, pint pint pint, pop pop pop!”

“The witty script was the perfect mix of positivity and comedic value, turning to loneliness and despair”

His naive enthusiasm is charming; this won’t end well – and, unsurprisingly, it doesn’t. From the broken promise of long-term accommodation by a sinister people trafficker to sleeping in a public toilet (“at least it is ensuite!”), and encounters of racism and unfriendly Londoners(!), Uday stays upbeat, despite his dreams coming tumbling down. This well-trodden path is important to document, and brings a human experience to newspaper headlines and statistics.

Mathur gave a flawless performance – he was endearing, funny and engaging, and switched emotion at the drop of a hat. The witty script was the perfect mix of positivity and comedic value, turning to loneliness and despair, with cultural references causing the audience to smile and laugh in solidarity, then turn to a feeling of awkwardness and uncomfortableness. 

The soundtrack of call centre muzak and Indian music was perfectly chosen, and complemented the play in all the right places, setting the atmosphere for each scene.

This play is evidently the product of a talented and experienced team, and it certainly deserves to go further, as does Mathur. I hope we will see him in much more to come.

Rhea Shepherd