Stratford East Theatre, Stratford – until 28th October 2023
Reviewed by Bobbi Fenton
5*****
I, Daniel Blake is an incredibly hard-hitting and emotional story, that sheds light on the immense struggle of people who are forced survive on benefits. Made especially relevant by our current cost of living crisis, this story features Daniel Blake (David Nellist), a carpenter who is recovering from a heart attack, and his friend Katie (Bryony Corrigan), struggling single mother to Daisy (Jodie Wild) who is trying to make a fresh start in a new flat miles away from everyone she knows.
This play is nothing short of phenomenal, as we see the characters battle with the mess that is the benefits system, being sent round and round in circles and expected to jump through hoops just to have enough money to live. We watch as Katie sacrifices her own wellbeing, starving herself so that her daughter has enough food to eat, which leads to an incredibly intense scene in which Katie, in her desperation for food after going hungry for so long, rips into a tin of beans outside the food bank, eating the cold beans with her bare hands. All the while, Dan is doing his best to apply for jobs he knows he won’t be able to accept because his doctor has told him not to work, just so that he can get enough money to survive himself. Through the duration of the play, we watch the relationship between these characters move from doing anything to help the other to hiding the truth from one another when they both begin to really struggle.
One part of this play that I loved was seeing and hearing quotes from actual politicians played out loud and projected onto the stage in the form of tweets, all revolving around the topics of work, benefits, or the economy. This is ingenious as it perfectly highlights how especially relevant this play and this story is today, with the current cost of living crisis. One quote, by Damian Green, is used twice as it is him talking about the film I, Daniel Blake. In this quote, he says that he has not seen the film, and says that it is “a work of fiction”. Through using these quotes in the transitions between scenes, even the least politically inclined people would be filled with rage towards the politicians who run the country. I also loved a monologue delivered by Micky Cochrane, as a homeless man. He gives a really harsh but deserved commentary on our current government, and how all they do is create catchy three-word slogans to push their agenda and distract us all from the real issues, as well as commenting on their useless policies that do nothing to actually help people. He talks about the Thursday night ‘Clap for the NHS’ during Covid, and how a nurse finishing the night shift has had to visit a food bank because you can’t buy food with claps. This really shows that this play is not just a piece of fiction, but it represents the real lives of so many people.
Not to forget Janine Leigh and Micky Cochrane’s portrayal of the people working at the job centre. From watching this performance, you can’t help but develop a deep hatred not only for the characters they play, but for the real-life people they represent, which is a sign of brilliant acting.
There are no words that can do justice to this play, it is without a doubt the best show I have ever seen.