Reading: Refugees face 'very real obstacles' while putting on play

Director Jude Haste said there have been "very real obstacles" but the play aims to make them visible

A play performed by asylum seekers has faced obstacles including long commutes and threats of homelessness.

The production is hosted by Rank-and-File Theatre in Reading, which works with refugees and people struggling with disabilities.

Where Do We Go From Here? was written by people seeking asylum in the UK who have drawn on their own experiences.

The Home Office said it is providing help for asylum seekers despite "record levels" of people arriving in the UK .

The play is set at Reading Station and aims to highlight the plight of the rail workers who try to keep people moving, whilst fighting for jobs, pay and pensions.

But Jude Haste, director at Rank & File Theatre, told the BBC there have been "very real obstacles" in putting it on.

Olly received a letter this week that said he has to move from Reading to Luton on Friday

Olly, 30, received a letter earlier this week telling him he will be moved from Reading to Luton on Friday.

He said he had no idea his father had brought him to the UK illegally until he was 16 and has only just been given the right to work this year.

"My mental health has just deteriorated," he said.

He said being moved on Friday is terrifying: "I felt like I am being ushered away from friends."

Elizabeth has to travel hundreds of miles, from Kent to Reading, to attend rehearsals

Elizabeth, 31, from Uganda, has spent hours on multiple trains travelling to Reading for the play.

"It was a struggle to get accommodation through migrant help [and] four times I was refused," she said.

She added: "Finally they accepted to accommodate me and they sent me all the way down to Kent."

'Incredible strain'

A Home Office spokesperson said "The number of people arriving in the UK who require accommodation has reached record levels and has put our asylum system under incredible strain.

"We continue to provide asylum seekers who would otherwise be destitute with accommodation on a no-choice basis across the United Kingdom."

They added that all accommodation is safe, secure and appropriate for an individual's needs, including three meals a day for those in hotels.

Elizabeth said she hopes the audience can see if they can survive like they "are trying to survive"

Ms Haste said her role as director means helping to take "those struggles from individuals and making them visible".

Elizabeth added the play is important to her: "The message I am hoping to get across is for people to get into our shoes and see if [they] can survive like we are trying to survive."

Where Do We Go From Here? will be performed at South Street Arts Centre in Reading on Wednesday night.

Ms Haste said she hopes to get more funding to put it on again at some point.