A refugee who arrived in the UK without being able to speak a word of English is taking his experiences on to the stage.

Ray Saith, of Holme Wood, Bradford, has come a long way since fleeing his war-torn Democratic Republic of Congo homeland.

When violence between the rebels and the Government claimed the lives of his mother and brother, he feared for his life and walked 18 miles to the Gabon border.

He caught a flight to the UK and on landing he was detained in a detention centre in Dover for a month.

After being allowed to remain in the UK, he lived in Leicester before moving to Bradford, where he now lives with his wife Nathalie, 30, and their three children Rabama, five, Rayson, three, and six-weeks-old Reeman.

He was forced to leave his wife behind in Congo but they were reunited through a chance meeting with a mutual acquaintance in 2006.

More than five years on from his arrival in Britain and Ray has a comprehensive grasp of the English language which has left him ready to tread the boards with his play, The Kingdom And I.

The production, which he performs in alongside Nathalie and friend Sheila Asante, echoes the difficulties he faced as he adjusted to life in Britain.

He said: "It's about a person who is a victim of bills, council tax, he confuses everything. He is able to work but he can't do more because of the language barrier.

"He loses his job because he doesn't understand what his boss wants him to do and he ends up divorced because he can't support his wife and kids.

"It has been hard for me to learn English. When I arrived in Dover everyone was speaking English, I just listened to them and eventually those words started coming through my head and my mind opened."

He worked on his English by taking a course at Bradford College.

The Kingdom and I is the second play Ray has written, the first, Talking from the Tape, was a sad story of his time at the detention centre. He said his new play "is the strongest expression of living in Britain".

"This will make people laugh, it isn't going to change people's perceptions but it can help some people discover the importance of the English language," he said.

His play has the backing of Bankfoot Partnerships and All Together, a voluntary group that aims to break down barriers for immigrants living in Bradford.

  • Performances of The Kingdom and I are at Bradford Alhambra Studio today at 2pm, and tomorrow and Thursday at 6.45pm. Tickets cost £5, concessions £4, and groups of ten or more get one ticket free. To book, call (01274) 432000.