The first ever stage adaptation of I, Daniel Blake has been announced and the actor who starred in Ken Loach's award-winning film is writing it.
Northern Stage revealed the news this Thursday morning that Dave Johns, who played Daniel Blake in the hard-hitting drama, is writing the screenplay for a stage version which is to have its premiere at the theatre next summer. And Dave, who says the success of the film changed his life, is delighted to have the approval of the director himself for the ambitious project.
Loach - who has worked for years with writer Paul Laverty, creator of the screenplay for I, Daniel Blake which is a stark portrayal of a man failed by the welfare system - said: “This story is more relevant now than ever and who better to put it on stage than Dave Johns, the original Daniel Blake."
Read more: Hear what Ken Loach has to say about filmmaking in Newcastle
Byker-born Dave was better known for his stand-up comedy at the time he landed the title role in 2016's I, Daniel Blake which, shot the previous year, was the renowned director's first Newcastle -made film. He has gone on to set two more in the region: 2018's Sorry We Missed You and The Old Oak which began filming earlier this year.
Dave had acted on stage but this was his first film and he could never have imagined how it would propel him into the limelight. The film went on to pick up the coveted Palme d’Or at Cannes Film Festival - where Dave walked the red carpet and rubbed shoulders with the stars - and a BAFTA for outstanding British film.
He himself won him a best actor award at the British Independent Film Awards and best newcomer at the Empire Awards. "It changed my life," he says. He still does comedy - he was up at Edinburgh Fringe this year - and is involved in about three films a year. He's just finished one in Belgium which required speaking French - "a Geordie shouldn't be speaking French!" he says.
Previous work includes adapting The Shawshank Redemption for the stage. He was excited to be asked to work on this latest project and his enthusiasm is matched by Natalie Ibu, director of Northern Stage.
She says discussions about translating the film to the stage had been under way at the theatre before she took up her post there during the pandemic. Covid stalled the plans but now they're finally under way the show is set to become a flagship production of the theatre's newly-announced 2023 season which has a This is Family theme.
Natalie remembers how moved she was when she first saw the film, particularly at seeing the loss of dignity suffered in the face of the poverty by the character of single mother Katie, played by Hayley Squires. The film's themes are just as relevant today, she thinks, as the cost of living crisis continues to bite.
Mark Calvert, who will be directing the Northern Stage production, agrees. He believes more people than ever will be affected by the story, which here will offer a fresh perspective with the addition of factual interviews, speeches and social media to show the impact of Government decisions upon people's lives.
The production has yet to be cast but Dave is keen to find someone to capture the same reality and honesty of the original story which he is updating, explaining: "I didn’t just want to put the film on stage." He says the research he has done uncovered a a similar picture of a welfare system strangled with red tape.
Referencing scenes in the film which see Daniel desperately trying and failing to reach help over the phone for his benefit claim, he says: "The only thing that has changed is the music on the telephone - it's not Vivaldi anymore; it's upbeat pop." He suggests it's even harder, in the current situation, for those who are already struggling "to find a way out of poverty".
Differences in his version of the story will include exploring more of the situation involving the character of Katie, who makes a friend of the equally lonely Daniel during the course of the film. Their struggles could be anyone's, says Dave.
But he points out there will humour in the tale too, and hope. And he is expecting some special guests to join the first night audience to watch it all play out on stage. He's already contacted Ken Loach - and the film team are planning to attend the premiere.
I, Daniel Blake, a co-production, will have its debut run at Northern Stage from May 26 until June 10 and it then will go on tour. Tickets, priced from £10, will go on sale on November 24. Keep an eye out here.
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