Review of I, Daniel Blake at Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton

Ken Loach's devastating 2016 film I, Daniel Blake sent shockwaves through many areas when it first came out and the worlds of politics and the general community became at odds with its depiction of the benefits system and the world of poverty. The political minds rubbished the theory and tales within it, but others knew well, living on the breadline and weaving and trying to survive the system themselves, that is was very true.

Daniel Blake is an upstanding citizen, a typical worker, who following a heart attack, hopes quite rightly, to be protected by the state in his bad days. This fails to happen as he finds himself unable to provide the points needed to gain benefit for his inability to work, and cannot take Universal Credit as he cannot work unless he continues to apply for jobs he simply cannot take. The system fails him, and fails his new friend Katie and her daughter Daisy, "transported" from London at the whim of the system.

The play has been cleverly and skillfully adapted by Dave Johns, who played the original Daniel Blake, from Paul Laverty's screenplay and it works extremely well. The strength of performance from the company often leaves the audience dumbfounded. Two of the most striking scenes of Daniel's second encounter with the garden centre owner and Katie's shame as she scatters the contents of her bag are as strong as you can simply imagine a moment in a play to be.

David Nellist is amazing as Daniel Blake, portraying the caring, but desperate man with poise and calm considering much he has to deal with. This contrasts beautifully with his moments of rage, making him seem so real. Bryony Corrigan is a revelation also in the role of Katie, far from the catalogue of her work with Mischief Theatre for instance, which audiences might be more familiar with. As she rips open a can of beans, we, in the audience, feel that intense need and desperation.

Jodie Wild offers excellent support in her professional stage debut as Katie's daughter Daisy, a kid, as Daniel himself acknowledges, has a much more mature head on her shoulders than her age. Elsewhere, Janine Leigh and Micky Cochrane offer great support in a series of generally unlikely characters, including the pen-pushing, obedient benefit officers. Completing the cast is Kema Sikazwe who reprises his actual role from the film as Jack the Lad, China, who often provides some delightful moments of humour with his Del Boy like plans for success via some dodgy shoes from "China".

The set from Rhys Jarman is simplicity itself and suits the show to perfection. Basically made up of a series of shelving, easily moveable from scene to scene with little break in the action. What breaks do occur are cleverly interspersed with quotes from mainly political players, all made after the original release of the film itself, and proves sadly that nothing has changed and if anything it has got much worse. The perfect proof of this is the need for food banks; at the time of the film's release in 2016, the area of Newcastle had just one food bank. Now, in 2023, there are seven.

These are the things that strike a cord through the need for I, Daniel Blake to exist still and in this production, stirring performances and impactful writing cut through the audience to make a play that needs to be seen.

A powerful mix of rage, anger and loving humanity.
⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Tuesday 31st October 2023 at the Royal & Derngate (Royal), Northampton.

I, Daniel Blake is at Royal & Derngate until Saturday 4th November 2023.

For further details about the Royal & Derngate and to book tickets see their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Production photos: Pamela Raith Photography

Review of & Juliet at Milton Keynes Theatre

First performed in 2019, & Juliet has become quite a global success, and now, as part of a UK Tour, it has arrived at Milton Keynes Theatre for a two-week run. Featuring a book by David West Read, it tells the what-if story of the survival of Juliet at the end of Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet . Primarily a jukebox musical, it more specifically features the works of Swedish songwriter Max Martin (and friends, as the credits describe). The question is, does & Juliet provide more than the standard of many a jukebox musical before it, and does it honour the tragic tale from which it has sprung? Our story opens with William Shakespeare presenting his latest work, Romeo & Juliet , for the first time. However, when his wife, Anne Hathaway, learns how he intends the tale to end, she is away with his quill and planning on her reworking of the story. At the core of this touring production's success is Geraldine Sacdalan's powerhouse performance as Juliet. Her Juliet ...

Review of Northern Ballet - The Great Gatsby at Milton Keynes Theatre

This production of The Great Gatsby performed by Northern Ballet was my fifth encounter at the theatre of a full ballet production and as before, I happily share my review of the show with nearly zero knowledge of-the-art form and more of a casual theatre-goer. You could say that this is a poor direction to come in on a review, but I would say that casual audience are the ones to review this for. Over the years, Northern Ballet has set quite a high benchmark for ballet productions, and any audience member who is worth their salt as a ballet fan would no doubt have tickets for this new touring version of the 2013 version of The Great Gatsby , lovingly created by David Nixon OBE. So much is Nixon part of the very fabric of this show, that he not only provides the choreography and direction but also the initial scenario and costume design (assisted by Julie Anderson). So, discounting those ballet fans already sitting in the audience, what does this offer for the more casual theatre-goer ...

Review of The Rocky Horror Show at Milton Keynes Theatre

Richard O’Brien’s anarchic, surreal, and often incomprehensible musical, The Rocky Horror Show , has captivated audiences for over fifty years now. With this new tour, it feels as fresh and unpredictable as if it had just emerged from O’Brien's vivid imagination yesterday. While another review might seem unnecessary given the countless dressed-up fans who fill every theatre it visits, let’s go ahead and write one anyway. The Rocky Horror Show follows the adventures of Brad and Janet, a newly engaged couple. On a dark and stormy November evening, they run into car trouble and seek refuge at a mysterious castle reminiscent of Frankenstein’s. There, they encounter the eccentric handyman Riff-Raff, the outrageous scientist Dr. Frank N. Furter, and a host of other bizarre characters. What unfolds is a science fiction B-movie narrative that is at times coherent and at other times bewildering — yet somehow, that doesn’t seem to matter. I first saw The Rocky Horror Show in 2019 and exper...

A Small Mind At The Theatre

Search This Blog