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.

Read more about how the creative team are adapting this moving exploration of compassion, bureaucracy, and the resilience of the human spirit for stage, plus find out how you can get involved through your local foodbank and the #GuaranteeOurEssentials campaign.

“[The show] was amazing – it was incredibly moving and well done… I think that the play has had a galvanising effect – if there was ever a reason to carry on with the work and with the campaigning, it was highlighted by the show.” – Mark Richardson, Manager Exeter Foodbank

INSIDE THE GREENROOM: I, DANIEL BLAKE