NS Archive 2023: I, Daniel Blake

Northern Stage, Birmingham Rep, ETT, Oldham Coliseum and tiny dragon Productions, in association with Cardboard Citizens

25 May – 10 June 2023 & 12 – 16 September 2023

Adapted by David Johns

I, Daniel Blake adapted by Dave Johns from the film directed by Ken Loach, written by Paul Laverty, and produced by Rebecca O’Brien for Sixteen Films.

Dan is a carpenter.  A Geordie through and through.  Just on the mend after a heart attack.

Katie has just arrived from London. Finally got a council house for her and the kids.  A fresh start.

I, Daniel Blake is one of the most important stories of a generation.  A glimpse behind the headlines and the stark reality of what happens when the political system is stacked against you.  With 14.5 million* people living in poverty in the UK, this is not fiction.  It is reality.

A touching and vital story of how people come together in the face of adversity and how sometimes creating a family to support you just isn’t enough.  The show is adapted for stage by Dave Johns who played Daniel Blake in the award winning 2016 film.

*Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2022 Poverty Report.

Toured to Birmingham Rep, Home Manchester, Exeter Northcott Theatre, Liverpool Playhouse, Durham Gala, Leeds Playhouse, Oxford Playhouse, Traverse Edinburgh, Theatre Royal Stratford East, Royal & Derngate, Belgrade Coventry, Yvonne Arnaud