Back of the net!
To celebrate the arrival of Dear England in a month’s time, we’re sharing an insightful interview between Clare Balding and writer James Graham about what makes the show – and the story of Southgate – so special.
Seen by over 300,000 people, James Graham’s Dear England is finally going on tour! Chronicling Gareth Southgate’s time as the England manager, Dear England takes its audience on a two-act tour of a moment that changed the history of the team.
The story is a unifying one – one which is not limited to just the history of sport. As Graham explores with Clare in this clip, the show has mass appeal, having entertained fans and novices alike across its run at National Theatre.
David Sturzaker (Doctors, BBC) plays former England manager Gareth Southgate in this gripping examination of nation and game. He is joined by stage and screen actress Samantha Womack (Eastenders, BBC; The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe) as team psychologist Pippa Grange.
Here, James Graham talks about the real people behind these roles, and the incredibly tangible impact they had on the England squad.
The themes of resilience and masculinity is crucial to the story at the heart of Dear England.
From Southgate’s fateful penalty in 1996 to the psychological impact of England’s losing streak before his arrival as manager, the play takes an inside look at the ways Southgate and Grange worked to unpack those pressures – not just within the team, but within themselves. In this clip, hear Graham talk about the sensitivity and importance of this sort of storytelling.
From an idea in a pub in 2018 to an Olivier Award-winning smash-hit, Dear England takes a contemporary story and turns it into a timeless epic. Whether you are dedicated to the beautiful game, or you can’t even explain the off-side rule, there’s something for everyone in Graham’s play.
Accept no substitutes, and don’t stay on the bench – join us at The Grand as we relive and redefine some of the England team’s most defining moments.
