Birmingham Hippodrome – until 14th March 2026
Reviewed by Emma Millward
5*****
The National Theatre’s production of Dear England arrived in Birmingham for the final fixture of its UK tour. Written by James Graham and directed by Rupert Goold, the play charts the unlikely emotional evolution of the England men’s football team under the management of Gareth Southgate (David Sturzaker). Graham focuses on the turning point when Gareth Southgate took charge of the squad after a long run of tournament defeats. The production examines how Southgate’s team decided to try something radical, they began talking about their feelings. Enter sports psychologist Pippa Grange (Samantha Womack), whose influence helped reshape the squad’s culture. Suddenly, the national team is discussing fear, failure, and vulnerability, all topics rarely heard over the masculinity and bravado of the beautiful game.
The show begins with Southgate’s penalty shoot-out miss in 1996. An event that would follow and haunt Southgate for years to come. At the centre of the action, David Sturzaker delivers a calm and quietly humorous portrayal of Southgate. Rather than a stereotypical shouting manager, he is thoughtful, composed, and occasionally wry. Samantha Womack brings an equally calm warmth to Pippa Grange, who is initially met with resistance in the male-dominated environment.
The squad itself is brought vividly to life by a lively ensemble. Oscar Gough captures the gentle authority of captain Harry Kane, while Ashley Byam gives Raheem Sterling plenty of emotional heart. Jayden Hanley plays Marcus Rashford with charm and determination, and Connor Hawker turns Harry Maguire into a surprisingly comic presence. George Rainsford delivers a sharp performance as sceptical Mike Webster, who isn’t convinced Southgate is doing the right thing. Jack Maddison as goalkeeper Jordan Pickford draws many laughs from the audience. Liam Prince-Donnelly as Dele Alli, Jass Beki as Bukayo Saka, Jake Ashton-Nelson as Jordan Henderson, Kadell Herida as Jadon Sancho, and Tom Lane as Eric Dier all give the dressing room an authentic sense of camaraderie.
Beyond the players, the football world pops up in colourful cameos. Ian Kirkby clearly relishes his turn as presenter Gary Lineker, while Ian Bartholomew lends authority to former FA chairman Greg Dyke. Meanwhile, Steven Dykes has fun portraying the brief and chaotic reign of Sam Allardyce. I am Dudley-born and bred, I found his accent was verging on a Yorkshire accent rather than Black Country, but I’ll give him points for trying! Courtney George stole the show for me with her portrayals of Lioness-turned-pundit Alex Scott and a hilarious turn as Theresa May. Supporting them is a versatile ensemble including Miles Henderson, Natalie Boakye and Ebube Chukwuma, who hop between roles as journalists, fans, and officials.
The production doesn’t shy away from discussing serious issues, including the racist abuse that many of the players received online after penalty shoot-out misses in the EURO 2020 finals. A section depicting an angry mob menacingly inching closer to the players as they prepare to take their penalties felt genuinely claustrophobic. The victory of the Women’s Lionesses also gets a well-deserved mention during the play.
The simple, yet effective set design (Es Devlin), lighting (Jon Clark), sound (Dan Balfour/Tom Gibbons), and clever video design (Ash J Woodward) all combine to skilfully evoke the energy of the game, especially the authentic stadium sounds throughout. Choreographed movement recreates penalty shoot-outs, media frenzy, and training exercises, and perfectly captures the highs, lows, and occasional absurdity of tournament life.
Even if football isn’t your thing, Dear England proves there’s plenty of drama and laughs behind the sport. By the final whistle, the crowd rose to their feet for a well-deserved standing ovation for a show that is funny, inspiring, and surprisingly moving.