A group of refugees and asylum seekers are putting on a special theatre performance to shed some light on what it’s like to be in their position in the UK.

The eight young men, who are all from Harrow and aged 18-25, came to Britain as children on their own, with many facing difficult journeys to get here.  

They are set to perform ‘Dear Home Office: Still Pending’, which they created alongside ITV screenwriter Dawn Harrison, on October 21 and 22 at London’s Pleasance Theatre.

It comes as part of their work with Phosphoros Theatre, an innovative theatre company that gives them a platform to share their personal stories.

Eritrean Awet Mohamed said: “There’s loads about refugees in the media but not many like us are actually speaking out.

“We wanted to make people understand refugees more. That we are humans just like them.

“We miss our homes and our families. We don’t want to be a problem, we just want a chance.”

The stories in the play are all drawn from the cast’s own experiences over the last year, as they face ongoing challenges with asylum claims, housing, college, work and relationships.

These themes run alongside the extraordinary experience that being in a theatre company has brought them.

Syed Najibi, originally from Afghanistan, explained that performing in shows has given him and his colleagues the chance to express how they are feeling.

He said: “I have gone from arriving in the UK in the back of a lorry, having never set foot inside a theatre before, to performing in sell-out shows.

“I’m so happy I have this opportunity to show people the reality of what it’s like to be an ordinary person growing up in extraordinary circumstances.”

For more information and tickets, click here.