Thursday, April 23

Tag: Kema Sikazwe

, Daniel Blake – HOME Mcr
North West

, Daniel Blake – HOME Mcr

Back in 2016, the political and cultural landscape of Britain felt markedly different: David Cameron was Prime Minister, the UK remained within the European Union, and Leicester City’s improbable Premier League triumph captured the national imagination. It was also the year Ken Loach secured the Palme d’Or at Cannes for I, Daniel Blake, a characteristically unflinching indictment of Britain’s welfare system. A decade on, this stage adaptation—presented by Northern Stage in collaboration with Leeds Playhouse—arrives not as a period piece, but as a grimly resonant reminder of how little has changed. Adapted by Dave Johns from Paul Lavery’s original screenplay, the production wastes little time in immersing us in the daily realities faced by its protagonist. Daniel Blake (Dave Nellist), a ...
I, Daniel Blake – Liverpool Playhouse
North West

I, Daniel Blake – Liverpool Playhouse

In 2016 Ken Loach’s groundbreaking film rocked the heart of the establishment, forcing politicians to speak of the issues it raised in parliament and for one to remark it was ‘a work of fiction’.  Daniel Blake may have been a fictional character, but the powerful story was anything but fiction.  People were trapped in the universal credit system and the poorest in our society were the ones who were forgotten and ignored. The actor who played Daniel, Dave Johns, has now adapted the screenplay for the stage and tiny dragon productions are touring it to appreciative audiences around the country.  This play is still relevant and whilst the cost-of-living crisis hits once again the poorest in our society, the message that Daniel Blake is a human being who deserves respect reso...