Theatre review: the agonising truth of the welfare system laid bare by I, Daniel Blake at The Rep

By tearing into the entrails of the benefits system and ripping them out for all to see, Loach laid bare the horrifying reality for many people in this country fighting for their right to survive.

Its impact was colossal, coming after years of Tory austerity measures and benefits users being mocked by tabloids and television programmes, which portrayed people as 'scroungers' who were too lazy to work.

Think of the popularity of shows like Benefits Street and how the genesis of welfare in this country was a reaction to centuries of assumptions over the definition of the 'deserving poor'.

The film was even mentioned in the House of Commons to the work and pensions secretary at the time, Damian Green, who said: "I haven't seen the film yet. I've seen a lot of trailers from it. I would point out to my honourable friend and to the honourable lady chuntering from a sedentary position on the opposition benches, it is a work of fiction."

The theatrical production of I, Daniel Blake, which is at the Birmingham Rep until next Saturday, begins with these words shining out into the darkness of the theatre, as the actors line up and stare into the audience.

While Daniel Blake never existed, his story is a true one, resonating with thousands of people up and down the country.

The stereotypical, cruel parody of people on benefits has been extensively challenged since the film's release in 2016 and is far less likely to be seen on TV in 2023.

However, the struggle of people battling the labyrinthine requirements of the welfare system are no less prescient than they were seven years ago.

Daniel Blake, played with devastating, heartwrenching finesse by David Nellist, is an ordinary working class man from Newcastle. A man who was never academic but loves getting things done and helping people.

A practical man, Daniel has always worked as a carpenter, until suffering a heart attack which left a lingering toll on his health.

Daniel's doctor warns him that he should no go back to work, but is denied Employment and Support Allowance after a Work Capability Assessment.

This decision was not made in consultation with Daniel's doctor, but instead, through questions such as 'can you lift your arm over your head' and 'do you have full control of your bowels'.

It is then that Daniel realises he is at the mercy of a punishing system which will do anything to force him back to work, despite not being physically fit to do so.

While battling with the Catch-22 of the situation he is in, Daniel meets young mum Katie Jenkins, played by Bryony Corrigan, and her daughter, Daisy, played by Jodie Wild.

The mother and daughter have moved from London to Newcastle, after a torturous three year wait for social housing while living in a hostel.

When a flat hundreds of miles away from her family is offered to her, Katie has no choice but to accept.

After arriving at their appointment a few minutes late due to confusion over the bus routes, Katie is sanctioned by the department of work and pensions and cannot claim benefits for a month.

She is financially cast adrift and must reckon with how to feed herself and her child for the next month, without any source of income.

Daniel takes the two under his wing and a flourishing if conflicted relationship blooms between the three of them.

The following two hours are a heart-breaking and raw depiction of how the demands of the welfare system eats away at the people who need it the most.

We see Daniel, reliving a pointless Groundhog Day of futile phone calls. We see Katie, gagging on cold baked beans she crams into her mouth outside a food bank, having barely eaten for days so she can provide for her child.

Each scene is juxtaposed with a projection above the stage, showing quotations from MPs and senior Tory ministers concerning the "myth" of poverty for people on Universal Credit.

These speeches seem incredibly warped and horrific as the story unspools itself and the inexorably tragic ending is revealed.

This is an eviscerating but vital story about modern Britain and the people who are repeatedly being failed by the state. It should not be missed.

Directed by Mark Calvert and adapted by Dave Johns, I, Daniel Blake is at Birmingham Rep until June 24. To book tickets, go to birmingham-rep.co.uk/whats-on/i-daniel-blake/.