Comedian Dave Johns has landed the lead role in the next Ken Loach film. 

In I, Daniel Blake the stand-up from Wallsend will play a middle aged joiner who needs state welfare after illness. He meets a single mother who is also dependent on welfare and the story follows them as they negotiate the benefits system. Hayley Squires co-stars. Filming has just started in Newcastle.

Johns has been a successful comedian for over two decades. In recent years he has also acted regularly, appearing in a number of hit stage shows. He was in One Flew Over The Cuckoos Nest,  Twelve Angry Men and also The Odd Couple with Bill Bailey and Alan Davies.

I, Daniel Blake will open in 2016. Loach has worked with a number of comedians in the past. John Bishop starred in Route Irish and Mick Ferry and Smug Roberts appeared in Loach’s Looking For Eric.

Johns has regularly been posting on his Facebook page about having auditions but did not reveal how big his part was. On the announcement he posted: "Well it's out now I suppose!"