I, Daniel Blake E-Book

Dave Johns

• Herausgeber: Nick Hern Books
• Kategorie: Poesie und Drama
• Serie: NHB Modern Plays
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 81

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2023

Beschreibung

'I, Daniel Blake, am a citizen, nothing more, nothing less.' Dan is a carpenter. A Geordie through and through. He had a heart attack recently, but he's on the mend now. Katie has just arrived from London. She's finally got a council flat, somewhere for her and her daughter, Daisy. A fresh start. In adversity, people come together. But when the system is stacked against you, how does anyone get by? With 14.5 million people (Joseph Rowntree Foundation 2022 Poverty Report) living in poverty in the UK, this is not fiction. It is reality. I, Daniel Blake was originally a film – directed by Ken Loach, written by Paul Laverty and produced by Rebecca O'Brien for Sixteen Films – which won the 2016 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. This touching and vital stage adaptation by Dave Johns, who played Dan in the film, toured the UK in 2023, co-produced by tiny dragon Productions, Northern Stage, Birmingham Rep and ETT, in association with Cardboard Citizens. 'A gut-wrenching tragicomic drama… Paul Laverty's brilliantly insightful script finds much that is moving (and often surprisingly funny) in the unbreakable social bonds of so-called "broken Britain".'Guardian on Ken Loach's film

Leseprobe

Dave Johns

I, DANIEL BLAKE

Based on the film I, Daniel Blake Directed by Ken Loach Written by Paul Laverty Produced by Rebecca O’Brien for Sixteen Films

Contents

Original Production Details

Characters

I, Daniel Blake

About the Author

Copyright and Performing Rights Information

I, Daniel Blake was first co-produced by Northern Stage, Birmingham Rep, ETT, Oldham Coliseum and tiny dragon Productions, in association with Cardboard Citizens and first performed at Northern Stage, Newcastle upon Tyne, on 25 May 2023.

DANIEL BLAKE

David Nellist

KATIE JENKINS

Bryony Corrigan

CHINA/ENSEMBLE

Kema Sikazwe

DAISY/ENSEMBLE

Jodie Wild

SHEILA/ENSEMBLE

Janine Leigh

HARRY/ENSEMBLE

Micky Cochrane

Director

Mark Calvert

Set and Costume Design

Rhys Jarman

Lighting Design

Simisola Majekodunmi

Composer

Ross Millard

Sound Design

Roma Yagnik

AV Design

Matthew Brown for PixelLux

Movement Director

Martin Hylton

Assistant Director

Siobhan McAuley

Wardrobe Supervisor

Naomi Daley

Production Managers

Michael Francis and Luke Child

Deputy Stage Manager

Lizzi Adams

Technical Assistant Stage Manager

Kamilla Jonsson

Produced by

tiny dragon Productions

Characters

DANIEL BLAKE (DAN), fifties

KATIE JENKINS, twenty-seven

DAISY JENKINS, twelve

CHINA, eighteen

VOICE OF ASSESSOR, live not pre-recorded

VOICE OF OFFICIAL, live not pre-recorded

FLOOR MANAGER SHEILA, job coach

FOOD BANK WORKER

HARRY EDWARDS

DEALER

WOMAN

ANGRY MAN

POLICEWOMAN

Setting

The play is set in Newcastle upon Tyne (but could be anywhere). The action takes place over a period of nine weeks.

Production Note

The original production showed real tweets from government ministers projected on the wall throughout scene transitions, which reflected government policies and thinking on social issues of the time, including austerity, benefits, food banks and child poverty, all of which have a direct impact on the lives of the characters in the play. These projections are optional.

This ebook was created before the end of rehearsals and so may differ slightly from the play as performed.

ACT ONE

Scene One

In the darkness the music ‘Sailing By’ by Ronald Binge fills the space.

Lights come up on an empty stage. As ‘Sailing By’ fades, the voice of the then Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Damian Green, speaking in the House of Commons in 2016, replaces it.

As he speaks, the cast appear. They take up their positions on the stage.

VOICE OF DAMIAN GREEN. No, I haven’t seen the film, I, Daniel Blake. But I have seen the trailer many times. What I’d like to point out to the Right Honourable gentleman is that it is in fact, a work of fiction.

We hear the word ‘fiction’ echo around the theatre.

A man, DANIEL BLAKE, mid-fifties, walks forward. He sits at a table.

It’s late at night. The Shipping Forecast is heard.

Taking great care, he works a carving tool on a piece of wood held in his hand.

This is done ritualistically, lovingly. Holding it up, inspecting his work: a beautiful carved fish. The work of a true craftsman.

The ENSEMBLE look on transfixed as the Shipping Forecast fades.

Suddenly and without warning DAN slumps forward, dropping the wooden fish.

As he falls from his chair the ENSEMBLE run to catch him. He falls into their arms. They lift him high and carefully place him on the floor.

They stand back looking at him, now laying motionless.

Then carefully they pick him up and sit him back on the chair. As if someone has hit a rewind button.

The lights go down. A disembodied official, emotionless voice is heard in the darkness.

ASSESSOR (offstage). Can you walk more than fifty metres unassisted by another person?

DAN. Yes.

ASSESSOR (offstage). Can you raise either arm, as if to put something in the top pocket of a coat?

DAN. Yes.

A single light reveals DAN, isolated and vulnerable, sitting alone. Akin to an interrogation.

Told you there’s nothing wrong with my arms or my legs. You have my medical records. Can we talk about my heart?

ASSESSOR (offstage). Can you press a button, such as a telephone keypad?

DAN. Nowt wrong with me fingers either… listen, you’re getting further and further away from me heart.

ASSESSOR (offstage). Have you significant difficulty in conveying simple messages to strangers?

DAN. Yes, yes it’s my fucking heart. I keep trying to tell you but you won’t listen.

ASSESSOR (offstage). Can you please stop swearing, Mr Blake. This is an assessment to ascertain if you’re fit or not to go back to work.

Silence.

Can you complete a simple task, like set an alarm clock?

DAN. Yes.

ASSESSOR (offstage). Can you raise your arm to the top of your head as if to put on a hat?

DAN. Yes.

ASSESSOR (offstage). Do you have any pets?

Silence.

If you refuse to answer these questions, I will terminate this assessment.

DAN. No, I don’t have any pets.

ASSESSOR (offstage). Do you experience loss of control leading to extensive evacuation of the bowel?

DAN. What?

ASSESSOR (offstage). Please answer the question.

DAN has had enough.

DAN. Listen, I’ve had a major heart attack. I want to go back to work but my doctor won’t let me. Now you asked me to attend this meeting so will you please ask about my heart, forget about my arse. That works a dream.

Scene Two

A tweet from a government minister is projected on the wall.

A young woman breaks away from the ENSEMBLE. KATIE JENKINS, a Londoner, twenty-seven.

KATIE. They found me a flat, Gran… yeh… thing is, it’s up north. No, Gran, not Watford! Newcastle. Yeh, yes, Gran, THAT north!…

She stops talking into the phone, breaking out of the action of the scene into reality. She looks to the watching ENSEMBLE.

Where’s Daisy? My kid was there.

DAISY JENKINS, twelve, walks forward.

(Back on phone.) The lady from housing said it’s lovely, it’s got a garden an’ everything… yeh… I know… yeh… but they can’t offer me anything nearer… I’ve tried… I can’t stand being stuck in that place any longer.

There’s a bad signal on the phone.

Gran, I’ll have to go… yeh, talk later, bye.

As she hangs up:

DAISY (shouting). Bye, Gran… Are we getting a new house, Mum?

KATIE, now deep in thought, looking at her surroundings as if a faint memory of another time is trying to return.

KATIE (answering DAISY). What, darling?

DAISY. Are we getting a new house?

KATIE. Yeh, yeh, you’ll have your own room.

DAISY. Will this one be for ever, Mum?

KATIE. Maybe this time, hey.

DAISY. Yeh.

Scene Three

KATIE and DAISY walk upstage.

A tweet from a government minister is projected on the wall.

A young man from the ENSEMBLE, CHINA, eighteen. Wearing headphones.

He starts to sing as he carries two bin bags and walks downstage.

DAN walks towards CHINA, now standing with the two bin bags full of rubbish in his hands, singing along to the music unselfconsciously.

CHINA drops the bin bags on the floor. He sees DAN.

CHINA picks up the bin bags and quickly holds them behind his back, hiding them from DAN.

DAN. Hey, China.

DAN walks over, indicates to CHINA to take his headphones off.

CHINA. I’m in a rush, Dan… they want me in work… just got a text.

DAN. You just going to dump those bin bags on the walkway again – (Re: headphones.) Off…

CHINA takes off his headphones.

CHINA. What?

DAN (pulling the bags from behind CHINA’s back). The bin bags!

CHINA. Oh these?… No, I’m taking them to the communal bins.

DAN. Really? You going the long way around?

CHINA. Eh?

DAN. The scenic route, the bins are over there.

DAN pointing the opposite way.

CHINA. Oh yeh… right… What am I like, eh?

DAN. Yeh, what ya like?… How many times have I told you about leaving your rubbish on the landing? Stinking the place up. Do you kids live on nothing but Indian takeaways?

CHINA. No, I like pizza as well.

DAN shakes his head.

I’m late, Dan. Can I stick them in the bins later when I get back?

DAN. Now.

CHINA puts the bin bags down and tries to change the subject.

CHINA. Can I ask you a favour, Dan? I’m expecting a parcel. It’s really important. It has to be signed for. Can you keep an eye out for the postman?

DAN. If you promise no more rubbish left on the landings. The place looks a mess.

CHINA. Cheers, Dan, you’re a star.

CHINA starts to walk away.

DAN. Aye, right.

CHINA. My whole future depends on that parcel, big business deal.

DAN. Oh aye! Business deal. (Sarcastically.) That’ll be right. (Laughs.)

CHINA. I’m on my way up, Dan! Got big plans. I’m going to be an entrepreneur… Do you hear, an entrepreneur, you wait and see.

CHINA sticks his headphones back on. Singing loudly and out of tune to the music, he walks past KATIE and DAISY.

DAN smiles.

DAN (to himself). Daft as a bloody brush.

DAN turns and sees CHINA has left the bin bags on the floor.

The little fucker!… I’ll kick his arse.

DAN picks the bin bags up and follows CHINA, who keeps singing.

China, China…

DAN stops. On-hold music, Vivaldi, is heard.

DAN is put in a queue. We hear the on-hold music continuously playing.

Scene Four

Improvised business. Then:

DAN (on phone). Do you know how long I’ve been on hold? One hour and forty-eight minutes… Jesus Christ, that’s longer than a football match.

OFFICIAL (offstage). I’m sorry, sir, but we’ve been experiencing heavy demand.

As the phone call goes on, DAN stops talking into the phone.

Now talking to the voice that fills the space: the voice of the state.