Dear England
Olivier Theatre (National Theatre)
4.9/5 based on 37 reviews (read reviews)- Opens: Monday, 10 March 2025 -
Booking until: Friday, 23 May 2025 - Running time: 2hr 50min. Incl. 1 Interval.
Dear England photos
Dear England description
Dear England – The Gareth Southgate football play
DEAR ENGLAND is about the respected England football manager Gareth Southgate. It explores the pressures experienced in the high-octane world of top class sport, and takes a look at the way the national men's football team affected the national psyche.
Beautifully written by James Graham, DEAR ENGLAND opened in 2023 at the National Theatre, where it wowed audiences at the Olivier Theatre from 10th June to 11th August 2023. The production stars Joseph Fiennes, who reprises his role at the Prince Edward, and it’s directed by Rupert Goold. The rest of the cast will be announced nearer the time.
If you’d love to see how Southgate helped change the face of masculinity via the England team, and know more about the famous open letter he wrote to England fans in 2021 as the covid pandemic raged, you’ll really enjoy this cool play.
What's the story behind Dear England?
DEAR ENGLAND tickets land you squarely in the net of the England football team via their legendary manager. It follows the England men's team in the run-up to and aftermath of three key football tournaments: the surprise run to the semis in 2018’s World Cup Russia tournament, the awful defeat the team endured at the 2020 European Championship final at Wembley, and the equally infamous quarter final exit from the 2022 Qatar World Cup.
The production is packed with emotional drama as the young Gareth Southgate misses a penalty at the ‘96 Euro semis then spends time as the caretaker manager for England, scattered with the reactions of the public, fans and social media. It takes us through the selection of heroes like Harry Kane, Harry Maguire, and Marcus Rashford, and details the role of the psychologist Pippa Grange. It covers the shameful racist abuse of black players after the loss to Italy in the Euro 2020 final. And it ends on a very different, more positive note, revealing how British football has changed for the better thanks to Southgate’s influence.
This is the story of the man who made English football great again. But it’s also pretty funny. You’ll laugh at the comic portrayals of ex-England managers Sven-Göran Eriksson, Graham Taylor, and Fabio Capello as well as luminaries like Gary Lineker and Matt Le Tissier, plus the cringe-worthy reactions of prime ministers May, Johnson, and Truss.
Buy tickets for Dear England
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Playing at Olivier Theatre (National Theatre)
Important information
This performance contains offensive language, strobe lights, bright lights directly focused at the audience and loud noises throughout.