Elin Schofield – The Theatre Playbook

James Graham’s Dear England will transfer from the National Theatre to the Prince Edward Theatre in the West End, where it will have a strictly 14-week run.

Directed by Rupert Goold, the play tells the story of the England men’s football team under manager Gareth Southgate.

It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game? With the worst track record for penalties in the world, England 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.

Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) will reprise his role as Gareth Southgate, with further casting to be announced.

Goold is joined by set designer Es Devlin, costume designer Evie Gurney, lighting designer Jon Clark, movement directors Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, sound designers Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons and video designer Ash J Woodward. Casting is by Bryony Jarvis Taylor, dialect coach is Richard Ryder and associate director is Elin Schofield.

Commissioned by the National Theatre, Dear England was developed with the theatre’s New Work department and had its world premiere in the Olivier theatre on June 20, 2023.

Dear England will run at the Prince Edward Theatre from October 9.

Rehearsals are underway on Dear England, a new play by James Graham coming to the National Theatre.

Telling the story of the England men’s football team under manager Gareth Southgate, the cast is headed by Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Tale) as Southgate and Gina McKee (My Policeman) as Pippa Grange, sports psychologist and head of people and team development at the Football Association from 2017 to 2019.

The cast also includes Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford, Gunnar Cauthery as Gary Lineker, Will Close as Harry Kane, Crystal Condie as Alex Scott, Will Fletcher as Jordan Henderson, Sean Gilder as Sam Allardyce, Darragh Hand as Marcus Rashford, John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke, Adam Hugill as Harry Maguire, Albert Magashi as Jadon Sancho, Kel Matsena as Raheem Sterling, Abdul Sessay as Bukayo Saka, Lewis Shepherd as Dele Alli, Paul Thornley as Mike Webster, Tony Turner as Greg Dyke and Ryan Whittle as Eric Dier. Nick Barclay, Tashinga Bepete, Will Harrison-Wallace and Miranda Heath complete the company. The cast will also be playing additional roles as part of the ensemble.

Following Tammy Faye and Ink, writer Graham (Best of Enemies, Sherwood) reunites with director Rupert Goold (Spring Awakening, Judy) for what is described as a gripping examination of both nation and game.

Dear England boasts set design by Es Devlin, costume design by Evie Gurney, lighting design by Jon Clark, movement direction by Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, sound design by Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, video design by Ash J Woodward and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor. The dialect coach is Richard Ryder and associate director is Elin Schofield.

Dear England will play in the Olivier theatre from June 10 – 11 August 11.