Bristol Tobacco Factory Theatres Review: A Life With PIP

Summary

Rating: ★★★★★

Running Dates: Saturday 7th February 2026

Where to see it: Tobacco Factory Theatre, Bristol

Duration: 45 minutes, no interval

Review

January. It’s the time of year we all hate. The joys of the festive season are behind us, the money has all dried up from nights out on New Year’s Eve, and we are about to embark on our journeys of self-discovery until February comes around and only the strongest of us keep up that gym routine! January is also bad for Stephen, his “least favourite time of year” he proclaims, because for Stephen, this is when his life changed forever.

In January 1996, 16 year old Stephen Lightbown went sledding with his friends. On the way home, after darkness had begun to set in, he decided to go backwards downhill and hit a tree. This accident severed his spinal cord and meant that for the rest of his life he would need the use of a wheelchair. He would also need disability benefits. “A Life With PIP” is Stephen's story of navigating the benefits system and having to justify their existence and level of need over and over and over and over and over again.

The first thing I think about when going to see a one-person play or show is just how incredibly nerve-wracking it must be. To hold an audience's attention for an extended period of time, with not much going on in terms of set dressing, no big show-stopping numbers to break up the dialogue, no supporting cast to pick you up if you stumble - it’s its own specific type of artform. And Stephen is a natural. He spoke so clearly of his experiences through a well-written and poetic script, his anger and frustration palpable and honest with a peppering of humour throughout, and he addressed the audience directly on occasion, making sure we were there, taking it all in and considering his points.

What struck me the most about “A Life With PIP” were two different observations or anecdotes that Stephen made. The first was that before the show, he had realised that he had forgotten a table cloth to dress the table on set, so he went to a number of charity shops in the local area to find one. However, what he found was that he couldn’t get into any of the charity shops because they didn’t have a ramp. He spoke of how in 30 years of being disabled, the world is still not accessible, that in 30 years nothing has really changed to help people with disabilities truly access the world in the same way as able-bodied people. I don’t think it was part of the original script, but it was a profound addition to the show that I think will make the people watching take notice of such things in future. 

The second observation, or story, was that for every PIP (and DLA, Disability Living Allowance) assessment he has had has been at home. Most people do theirs over the phone now or in a government building which present their own set of problems, but for some reason all of his have been at home, and he posited that this is probably the worst environment to do an assessment in. At home you are safe, you know your way around, you have things at the right height so you can reach them, the home has been adapted, you have a stairlift so you can get upstairs and ramps installed outside so you can get to the bins or get out to your adapted car. It’s the only place in the whole world that works FOR YOU. The outside world doesn’t.

The pavements with cars parked on them so you can’t get past, the trains that you have to book 24-hours in advance in the hopes that someone will put a ramp out for you at both of your stops, and the charity shops that you can’t get into because they only have steps. To assess someone's level of need in the most comfortable and accessible environment that they have is deliberate, it forces you to justify your need to such a degree that leaves you feeling dehumanised and humiliated. Even with an approved Court order that gave him “indefinite” benefits and a spinal injury that won’t magically go away, Stephen still had to be re-assessed resulting in a reduction to his benefits that he has to appeal again! 

I won’t lie, this was a heavy show. I really wanted to hear about someone's experience of navigating a system that I have thankfully had minimal contact with, particularly in light of the political rhetoric in the last few years and the proposed changes to the benefits system and PIP specifically. I hoped it would broaden my knowledge base and awareness for other people's struggles. And it did. I learnt so much through Stephen’s experience, the whole audience found ourselves nodding and laughing and agreeing with so much of what he said, empathetic groans of approval during many lines of dialogue could be heard.

But I left feeling depleted and just all around sad. Sad for Stephen and the many millions of people like him who have to constantly justify their need for a bit of help. Sad that he had to pay for his wheelchair and stairlift himself out of pocket. Sad that the system is very clearly broken when the most vulnerable of us are asked to prove themselves more rigorously than anyone else due to a 0.4% fraud rate of all PIP claims.

To come away from the show knowing how much more he will have to go through was dejecting, but I guess that’s the point and shows how truly accomplished a show this is. We need to think about these things, to support those who need our help, to try and change the system at large and to maybe chuck a ramp on the step outside of our shops so EVERYONE can come in.

Standout Quote or Moment: Stephen’s humour was great throughout, his personality really shone through.

See If: You want to understand other people’s lived experiences more.

Last Impression: Meaningful show that makes you open your eyes and want to do more.

Written by Amy Dijkstra

We were kindly gifted these tickets in exchange for a review.