David Sturzaker and Samantha Womack will star in Dear England, James Graham’s play about Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England football manager, when the play visits New Wimbledon Theatre as part of its upcoming UK tour.
Sturzaker (Doctors) will play Southgate, with Womack (EastEnders) as team psychologist Pippa Grange. Further casting is to be announced.
It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. The England men’s team has the worst track record for penalties in the world, and manager Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land.
Dear England is directed by Rupert Goold (Patriots, Ink) with set design by Es Devlin (The Lehman Trilogy). The wider creative team for Dear England includes costume designer Evie Gurney, lighting designer Jon Clark, co-movement directors Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, video designer Ash J Woodward, co-sound designers Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons with additional music by Max Perryment.
They are joined by tour revival director Connie Treves, revival movement director Tom Herron, casting director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, associate lighting designer Ben Jacobs, associate video designer Libby Ward, associate sound designer Johnny Edwards, casting associate Lilly Mackie and resident director Dan Hutton.
Dear England was originally commissioned by the National Theatre and developed with the theatre’s New Work department. Its world premiere was on June 20, 2023, in the Olivier theatre. It then transferred to the Prince Edward Theatre, in London’s West End, from October 9, 2023, to January 13, 2024.
In February 2024, the BBC announced it had commissioned a four-part drama of Dear England based on the stage production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer.
Touring 16 venues between September 2025 and March 2026, Dear England visits New Wimbledon Theatre from February 24-28, 2026. Tickets here.