James Graham’s Dear England is a play that shouldn’t work as well as it does. On paper, a drama about Gareth Southgate and the England men’s football team could so easily have been little more than locker-room caricature and sporting cliché. But in practice, what unfolds on stage is a gripping, humane and wonderfully entertaining piece of theatre. It is funny, moving and profound, an evening that reminds us that football is not just about sport but about people, identity, and belonging.
First staged at the National Theatre in 2023 before transferring to the West End, where it broke box office records, Dear England has since become one of the most celebrated new plays of the decade. It was screened in cinemas through NT Live, adapted for a forthcoming BBC drama, and won the Olivier for Best New Play in 2024. Now on a 16-venue UK tour produced by the National Theatre and JAS Theatricals, it brings its powerful mix of humour, politics and sport to audiences across the country, this week taking centre stage at Nottingham’s Theatre Royal.
The story begins with the most infamous of moments: Southgate’s missed penalty at Euro ’96. David Sturzaker’s portrayal of Southgate immediately grounds the production in restraint and vulnerability. He captures a man defined not by his failures but by how he responds to them. His Southgate is gentle, thoughtful, sometimes awkward, but always quietly compelling. This is not a flashy or showy performance, but it is one that makes you lean in. Sturzaker finds the subtle hesitations, the humour, the self-doubt, and ultimately the resilience of a figure who has become both manager and moral compass.
Around him, the cast are consistently excellent. Oscar Gough is pitch-perfect as Harry Kane, his deadpan delivery and occasional stumbles of awkwardness handled with such accuracy that he draws laughter and admiration in equal measure. There is a warmth to his performance that makes Kane more than just a captain: he becomes a symbol of the everyman, someone striving under immense pressure but always grounded. Physio Phil (Stephen Dykes) is a constant delight, stealing scenes with comic timing and unexpected moments of poignancy. His presence provides much of the humour, but also a heart that connects audience and team alike. Samantha Womack is superb as psychologist Pippa Grange, offering not only gravitas but an easy warmth; she provides the framework for the players’ transformation and the play’s exploration of what it means to be English in the twenty-first century. Her scenes with Southgate are particularly compelling, two professionals united in a belief that empathy and understanding can change not just results but lives.
The writing throughout is razor-sharp. James Graham’s ear for dialogue is unmatched, and he balances football banter with moments of national soul-searching with absolute precision. One moment you are laughing at dressing-room banter, the next you are reflecting on what the England flag means to players of different backgrounds, or on the way social media abuse distorts the joy of representing one’s country. Graham never lets the script become heavy-handed. Instead, he uses humour as an entry point, ensuring even those with little interest in football are swept up in the story. The play’s heart lies in its humanity: these are not icons or statistics, but men struggling to overcome fear, expectation and prejudice.
Technically, the production is as sleek as one would expect from Rupert Goold and Es Devlin. The set is deceptively simple but endlessly versatile, allowing swift transitions from press conferences to dressing rooms to stadium showdowns. Jon Clark’s lighting is immaculately timed, switching from the intimacy of a private conversation to the glare of the penalty spot in an instant. Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons’ sound design is outstanding, capturing the roar of the crowd, the echo of the ball, and the unbearable silence before a penalty kick with remarkable precision. The effect is to immerse the audience completely, so that the tension of the players becomes our own.
The first act is close to flawless, brimming with humour and tightly plotted storytelling. It builds to moments of real exhilaration, showing us the way Southgate transformed the culture of the England team. The second act, while still strong, is less evenly paced. The racism players faced and the contested symbolism of the England flag are vital themes, but they are moved through too quickly, as though the production is conscious of needing to cover all bases before the curtain falls. These issues deserve more space, but the heart and intention behind their inclusion is clear and powerful, and the performances give them weight even when the script rushes.
What is most impressive about this Nottingham run is the energy and conviction of the cast. Every member of the ensemble throws themselves into multiple roles, from footballers to pundits to politicians, and each characterisation is sharply defined. There are moments when the theatre feels more like a stadium, the audience carried along by the drama of the shootout, the heartbreak of defeat, the rare joy of victory. And yet, when the play turns inward, focusing on Gareth Southgate’s belief that footballers are more than players – that they are young men with stories, fears and responsibilities – the Theatre Royal falls into a silence so intense you could hear a pin drop.
Dear England captures a moment in national life with extraordinary clarity. It reminds us that sport is never just about winning or losing, but about how we carry the weight of history, how we choose to define ourselves, and how we face up to failure. It is a play that wears its heart proudly, filled with humour and humanity, and performed with infectious energy. Even if you’ve never watched a match in your life, you will be swept up by its passion. And if you are a football fan, you will recognise the ghosts of the past and the hope of a different future.
There are few shows on tour right now that combine wit, power and heart with such success. Nottingham’s Theatre Royal audience rose to their feet in well-deserved ovation, and it is easy to see why. This is theatre that entertains, yes, but also theatre that matters.
Dear England plays at the Theatre Royal Nottingham until Saturday 27th September when it continues its UK tour. Tickets available here.
Photography throughout from Marc Brenner.
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