Cast line-up for the kick off. Pictures: Marc Brenner

Dear England

Birmingham Hippodrome

*****

I’m not a football fan. In fact, I often joke that I call it soccer just to annoy my friends who take the game very seriously. However, like much of the country, when England are in a major tournament, I find myself getting caught up in the ride with everyone else.

Suddenly we all feel like we know the players, we talk about them as if they are part of our everyday lives, and the whole nation seems to be swept up in the strange magic that football can create. That collective experience is exactly what makes   such a fascinating and powerful piece of theatre.

The production wastes no time in drawing the audience into its story. The play opens with the defining moment of Gareth Southgate’s career — the missed penalty during the UEFA Euro 1996 Semi-final at Wembley Stadium. It is a moment that still lingers in the collective memory of English football, and the staging captures the tension and heartbreak with striking simplicity. From there, the production moves swiftly into a breathtaking display from the ensemble. In a matter of seconds, the cast transform themselves into a whirlwind of commentators, fans, journalists and players, shifting characters with remarkable speed and precision. Through tightly choreographed movement and clever staging, the company instantly creates the emotional atmosphere of football in England — the pressure, the passion and the sense that the whole nation is watching.

From that opening, the production continues with remarkable pace and energy, carrying the audience through England’s modern football journey with clarity and confidence. The storytelling never feels slow or heavy; instead, it flows almost cinematically from moment to moment, keeping the audience fully engaged.

One of the most impressive elements is the portrayal of real-life figures. The performance depicting Gareth Southgate by David Sturzaker is particularly striking, capturing both the recognisable mannerisms and the quiet leadership that has defined his time managing the England team. Rather than simply impersonating a well-known public figure, the performance reveals the thoughtful and deeply human side of Southgate’s approach to leadership.

Equally important to the story is the influence of sports psychologist Pippa Grange, played with calm authority by Samantha Womack. Womack brings a real sense of control whenever she steps on to the stage, her performance grounded, intelligent and quietly commanding. She conveys the steady presence that helped reshape the emotional culture within the England squad, and her scenes provide some of the production’s most thoughtful moments.

The production explores how Southgate helped reshape the mentality of the England squad. For years, the team carried the weight of historic failures, particularly when it came to penalty shootouts and major tournaments. Under his leadership, however, the culture began to change. The play highlights how psychological strength, openness and trust became central to the team’s identity, transforming not just the way they played but the way they saw themselves.

Samantha Womack  as Pippa Grange

What makes Dear England so engaging is that it is not really about football alone. While the sport provides the framework for the story, the play digs much deeper into themes of pressure, expectation, national identity and the emotional challenges faced by young athletes representing their country.

Performances across the ensemble are strong throughout. Actors such as Jayden Hanley, portraying Marcus Rashford, and Liam Prince-Donnelly as Dele Alli, bring warmth and humanity to their roles, helping the audience connect with the personal stories behind the players.

Another standout element of the production is the sheer versatility of the ensemble. Several cast members take on a rapid rotation of roles — from Gary Lineker to Theresa May, with even a fleeting, sharply observed appearance from Boris Johnson — and each transformation is delivered with such clarity and wit that the audience instantly knows who they’re seeing.

These aren’t throwaway caricatures; they’re smart, sharply drawn character moments that enrich the world of the play and add texture to England’s cultural landscape. The staging supports this beautifully: the simple use of the changing‑room doors as the central set piece, paired with the old‑school red chairs and the striking back projections, allows every scene to shift fluidly. It’s an elegant, clever design that keeps the focus on the performances while giving the production a distinctive visual identity.

It’s also worth highlighting the performers behind some of the team’s most recognisable modern players. Oscar Gough’s portrayal of Harry Kane captures both the captain’s grounded presence and his understated determination, offering a performance that feels authentic without ever tipping into exaggeration. Likewise, Jordan Pickford — played with sharp energy and brilliant comic timing by Jack Maddison — brings a burst of personality to the stage, perfectly balancing the goalkeeper’s intensity with moments of levity. These portrayals add real heart to the production, reminding the audience that behind the headlines and heroics are young men carrying enormous expectations.

One of the joys of the production is just how funny it is. James Graham’s script is packed with sharp, playful humour — the kind that has the audience laughing in recognition rather than mockery. But those laughs sit alongside moments of real emotional weight. For people who remember these tournaments unfolding in real time, certain scenes land with unexpected force. You could feel the atmosphere shift as memories resurfaced: the heartbreaks, the near‑misses, the national hope rising and collapsing again. The play balances these tones beautifully, moving from comedy to poignancy with ease and reminding the audience why these moments mattered so deeply.

At times, those less familiar with the sport may wish for a little more context about some of the players appearing in the story. For passionate fans, these figures are instantly recognisable, but audience members without that background might benefit from slightly more insight into who they are and why they matter. Nevertheless, the performances and storytelling remain strong enough to carry the narrative forward.

Perhaps the most profoundly moving moment of the evening comes when the play confronts the racism that followed the Euro 2020 final. The scene is handled with remarkable sensitivity — never sensationalised, never overstated, but presented with a quiet honesty that hits far harder because of its restraint. You could feel the atmosphere shift across the auditorium as memories resurfaced; people who remembered living through that moment were visibly moved. It’s a stark reminder of the emotional burden placed on these young players, and the production treats that reality with the dignity and seriousness it deserves.

Technically, the production also excels. Directed by Rupert Goold, with striking design work from Es Devlin, the show makes excellent use of projections and lighting to help tell the story. These elements transform the stage into press rooms, stadium environments and key moments in the team’s journey, adding visual depth and momentum to the narrative.

By the end of the performance, the reaction from the audience spoke volumes. As the cast took their bows, the theatre rose almost instantly into a full standing ovation, with sustained applause celebrating a production that had clearly struck a chord with the entire room.

Ultimately, Dear England succeeds because it tells a story about far more than sport. It is about belief, leadership, resilience and the emotional journey of a nation that invests so much of itself in the game. Even for someone who claims not to be a football fan, this production proves that the story behind England’s modern football era is one that resonates far beyond the pitch.

Dear England may not turn every die‑hard football fan into a fully-fledged theatregoer overnight, but it certainly makes a compelling case for giving it a try. To 14-03-26.

Dexter Whitehead

10-03-26 

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