Can’t get tickets to the I, Daniel Blake tour? Here’s where to stream the film

The stage adaptation is written by Dave Johns, who played Daniel Blake in the 2016 film

Alex Lee
Wednesday 31 May 2023 08:51 EDT
You can catch the stage production in 13 locations across the UK
You can catch the stage production in 13 locations across the UK (Sixteen Films/The Independent)

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The first stage adaptation of Ken Loach’s BAFTA-winning I, Daniel Blake has just begun its theatre run at the Northern Stage in Newcastle, where the film is set, with the production embarking on a tour across the UK starting on 13 June.   

The film about the hardships caused by benefit bureaucracy and sanctions has been reworked for the stage by Dave Johns, who played the titular character in the 2016 film. It will highlight the cost-of-living crisis and will include factual interviews, speeches and social media output to show that “this is not fiction. It is reality”.

The stage play can be seen in 13 locations across the UK, including Newcastle, Birmingham, Manchester, Exeter, Liverpool, Durham, Leeds, Oxford, Edinburgh, London, Northampton and Coventry, with the final performance taking place in Guildford in November.     

In the Ken Loach drama, Daniel Blake, a widowed joiner from Newcastle has a heart attack and struggles to get help from the state when he applies for Employment and Support Allowance, despite being declared unfit to work. He strikes up an unlikely friendship with a single mother who has moved to Newcastle with her two children.

Described as “intensely moving” by The Independent’s writer Geoffrey Macnab in his review of the film, the story is now being brought to the stage, and tickets to the I, Daniel Blake play are available to book now. In the meantime, you can currently watch the poignant masterpiece on Disney+.

Where can you watch ‘I, Daniel Blake’ online?

I, Daniel Blake - Official Trailer

I, Daniel Blake is currently streaming on Disney+. If you aren’t already subscribed to the streaming service, a monthly subscription will cost you £7.99 per month. However, if you opt for an annual subscription, you’ll be able to save 16 per cent, as you’ll get 12 months of Disney+ for the price of 10 (£79.90).

Watch ‘I, Daniel Blake’ on Disney+ now

Where can you watch the ‘I, Daniel Blake’ stage play in the UK?

The I, Daniel Blake stage play premiered on 25 May at the Northern Stage in Newcastle. It will tour the UK throughout the summer and autumn months. Here’s where you can catch the production.

  • Northern Stage, Newcastle Upon Tyne – 25 May to 10 June 2023, sold out
  • Birmingham Repertory Theatre – 13-24 June 2023, book now
  • HOME Manchester – 27 June to 1 July 2023, book now
  • Exeter Northcott Theatre – 5-8 July 2023, book now
  • Northern Stage, Newcastle Upon Tyne – 12-16 September 2023, sold out
  • Liverpool Playhouse – 19-23 September 2023, book now
  • Gala Durham – 26-30 September 2023, book now
  • Leeds Playhouse – 3-7 October 2023
  • Oxford Playhouse – 10-14 October 2023, book now
  • Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh – 17-21 October 2023
  • Theatre Royal Stratford East, London – 24-28 October 2023
  • Royal & Derngate, Northampton – 31 October to 4 November 2023, book now
  • Belgrade Theatre, Coventry – 8-11 November 2023, book now
  • Yvonne Arnaud Theatre, Guildford – 14-18 November 2023, book now

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