Review: I, Daniel Blake is ‘propaganda of the best kind’ on Coventry stage

Based on Ken Loach’s film of the same name, I Daniel Blake is an equally searing story of how Britain functions from the perspective of those at the bottom of the social pile. It is a story of great heroism, one that reflects the lives of many who live with poverty, whose problems are made worse, not better, by an overly bureaucratic benefits system. It is propaganda of the best kind, intended to change minds and move hearts. It is also a superb theatrical experience.

Set in the north east, Daniel (Dave Nellist) is a carpenter, or was. Having suffered a major heart attack, his doctor has told him he must lay off work. But he hasn’t the resources to take things easy. So he turns to the benefits system for the sustenance he has paid for all his working life. But the system is not sympathetic, and he is ruled fit to work. Failure means stoppages, driving him further into poverty.

Running alongside this story is another, centred on Katie (Bryony Corrigan) and her daughter Daisy (Jodie Wild). Katie is a single mum, newly arrived in the area, to which she has been sent from London where she and her daughter have been living in hostels. The two are knocked back from the start when they arrive late on the bus, not knowing their way around, and they lose a month’s payment for the error. They form an unlikely alliance, linked by their determination to make the best of things. None of them has done anything wrong, except arguably Katie who steals sanitary products for her and her daughter and eventually takes works for a while as a sex worker just to stay alive.

For all the grim nature of the subject, the play engages the audience right from the start. The rapport between Daniel and Katie is touchingly real. They become close, but they also bicker and fall out. Daniel desperately wants to help them, even though he has little enough himself. Katie doesn’t want to be the object of anyone’s charity.

The play is punctuated by ‘Twitter’ pronunciations by leading politicians projected onto a screen, each a direct quote though not originally a tweet. Each claims the welfare state works for people like these, that austerity equates with compassion, that their policies are making a difference. The only difference is that inequality has got worse. Foodbanks now serve millions, many of whom are in work. Zero hours contracts, the death of trade unions, rising rents have made huge profits for some on the basis of hardship for many.

One of the most outstanding moments for me in the play was when Daniel applies for a job at a nursery garden. The owner Harry (Micky Cochrane) likes him and would offer him a job. Only Daniel has to turn it down because of his health. Doing so means he risks losing his benefits. Harry, who works 12 hours a day, seven days a week running a business, rails at him, calling him a scrounger. The pain on Daniel’s face was a picture to behold. His dilemma spoke volumes and is an image I won’t easily forget.

Until November 11. Visit belgrade.co.uk to book.