Sold out run for Tyneside set I, Daniel Blake, at Newcastle theatre
The play, based on the Bafta winning film which showed the harsh reality of foodbank use in the UK, is taking to the stage in Newcastle for a sold out run
Last updated 31st May 2023
A theatre adaptation of the heartbreaking, Tyneside set film I Daniel Blake, is taking to the stage in Newcastle this week - with a sold out run at Northern Stage.
Geordie actor Dave Johns, who played the original Daniel in the film - is now directing the new show, which is heading out on tour around the UK - before returning to Northern Stage later this year
The film shone a light on the stark reality of foodbank usage back in 2016, and Dave tells us the story is just as timely now - during the cost of living crisis, though they have expanded some parts of the plot:
"It'll have its emotional beats, but also we've been able to write up Katie and the kids' story and give it more flesh - and bring it up to date...
"It's not a historical piece, it's a contemporary piece and one of the depressing things is when I was researching it to see what had changed - nothing has changed."
Dave tells us why the BAFTA award winning film struck a chord with audiences - that they are hoping to match with the stage show;
"This was happening to ordinary people, it could happen to your mam, it could happen to your uncle, your dad, your sister, your daughter you know...
"That the system isn't there to be a safety net.
"We always heard the narrative that people on welfare were scroungers, and I think the film changed that by saying - NO."
Ken Loach - who directed the film - said, “This story is more relevant now than ever. And who better to put it on stage than Dave Johns, the original Daniel Blake?”
According to the team behind the show, there are currently 14.5m people in the UK now living in poverty - from a report in 2022 by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, and more people than ever relying on food banks.
When the film was first released in 2016 there was one Trussell Trust foodbank in Newcastle. Now they list seven.
Director Mark Calvert says, “It’s a big responsibility to honour the film but also to find ways to raise awareness of the hardship huge numbers of people in our country are facing right now.
"I’ve spent months volunteering at local food banks, and I can tell you that this is not fiction. It is reality.
"And the cost-of-living crisis affects even more people now than when the film was released in 2016.
"For me I, Daniel Blake frames the working-class experience in modern Britain - there’s hope, humour and humanity in the story, but audiences should feel angry and outraged; I
know I am.
“When we first started to think about how to adapt the film for the stage we knew that we needed to offer a fresh perspective on the ramifications of 13 years of government cuts.
"Inspired by activists Led By Donkeys, Cold War Steve and Cassette Boy, the production will feature factual interviews, speeches and social media posts showing the impact of government decisions on people’s lives.
"We hope reflecting the harsh reality will galvanise audiences and inspire activism.”
Following a sold-out opening run at Northern Stage (25 May - 10 June), the production will tour around the UK, before returning to Northern Stage later this year.
You can find out more from Northern Stage online.