Dear England Review | The Lowry | Manchester
- Frances
- Jun 1
- 2 min read
Showing that beauty blossoms from tragedy, Dear England’s pithy production follows Gareth Southgate’s scrappy career, from heading the Three Lions into the 2018 FIFA World Cup to his final tournament as England manager in 2024.
The National Theatre’s passion-driven piece is an Olivier Award-winning production that offers more than just a lens into Southgate’s history as a player and manager. Writer James Graham (Sherwood) shapes the story around his journey of building a young squad and drawing disillusioned fans back to the team, with players rising to a boiling point with every win and loss felt on and off the pitch.
Helping to take the team into 2 world cups and 2 European championships, the story highlights the resilience and talents of his players, showcasing a raw Marcus Rashford (Jude Carmihel), Harry Kane (Ryan Whitle) and Raheem Sterling (Gamba Cole), all hoping to win some silverware. Drawing on both their accounts and fictionalised versions of events, from locker room talks to the public abuse of fans, the show is able to blend politics, mental health, masculinity, racism and the beautiful game into a story of knock-backs and devotion.
Director Rupert Goold’s (Patriots) slick and subtle staging centres Southgate, played by Gwilym Lee’s (SAS Rogue Heroes), into a cocooned set held in by the players shirts. Shimmering projections of locations, claustrophobic locker rooms and press conferences capture glints of the team's mood before, during and after a game. With their framed memories and snapshots of events on stage, the Lowry audience are placed directly into the crowds of the games and allowed to the infiltrate the team's private thoughts after the whistle blows. As Southgate implements a new philosophy of championing mental health, psychologist Pippa Grange (Liz White) helps put losses into perspective and assists in conquering and controlling their fears.
The ensemble cast is incredibly strong, taking on multiple hats to give a sense of the politics and pundits surrounding each game. Gunnar Cauthery as Gary Lineker and Felix Forde as Theresa May are perfect caricatures, but Carmichael and Tane Siah are given space to speak on the racism faced by Rashford, Saka and Sancho during the Euro 2020 final. The thoughtful cast humanise the players as they tackle everything from the fear of failure to the Covid pandemic.
Lee’s portrayal of Southgate has an introspective, quiet confidence, offering an empathetic take on the longstanding manager. Lee anchors the production with his honest and personal narrative which serves as the moral compass throughout the show. Despite knowing where the story leads, Lee’s believability intensifies the hurdles and clashes surrounding the team as you witness how shifts in society affect his players and how they ripple into the game.
Dear England’s sharp and witty script pulls together a passionate tribute to the man who shaped the England team for eight years. Football fans aside, the show is also about vulnerability and real leadership, reminding audiences that football is not a matter of life and death but something far more important.
Tickets are available via the Lowry link