Acclaimed play Dear England will be at The Alhambra Theatre, in Bradford, through to Saturday, February 21
You can see Dear England at The Alhambra Theatre, in Bradford, until Saturday, February 21
(Image: Marc Brenner)
In this, a World Cup year, some are starting to dream again. So, what better time for stage play Dear England to tour.
Bradford was a city with an encaptivating sense of football in the air on Tuesday evening. The Bantams maintaining a promotion push at Valley Parade while Dear England opened at The Alhambra Theatre.
The National theatre piece, from the pen of writer James Graham, famous for Quiz and Brian and Maggie, has earned great acclaim since its 2023 London debut. Now on its debut UK tour, the production sees David Sturzaker donning that rather famous waistcoat to become former England men’s team manager Gareth Southgate.
Dear England, which won the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for best new play, spans Southgate’s tenure, helming the Three Lions between 2016 and 2024. The ups-and-downs of his time across four major tournaments – including challenges on-and-off the pitch.
The powerful production offers real insight into the complicated task of changing a culture – in the dressing room and outside. Bradford audiences will see Southgate pair with psychologist Pippa Grange, played by former EastEnder Samantha Womack providing a real air of composure, to undertake the unenviable task.
David Sturzaker plays Gareth Southgate in Dear England
In many ways, Southgate’s life will be defined by those dreaded penalties. From his own, weight of the nation, misfortune as a player during Euro 1996 to England’s Euro 2020 shootout final defeat to Italy – when he was the team’s boss.
Dear England balances tenderness and humour brilliantly. Displayed with Womack’s Grange encouraging Southgate, and his team, that ‘talking up’ shouldn’t be seen as a weakness.
Sturzaker, who captures the quiet pride and mannerisms of Southgate brilliantly, asks the psychologist whether England would be a happier place to live – if he’d have converted in 1996, from the spot, against Germany. The dry humour, raising many laughs, from Grange’s sharp reply of: “Who knows. We live in the world where you f**king didn’t.”
The narrative displaying the notion of ‘collective trauma’ from countless ‘what if?’ moments weighing heavy on Southgate, his young players and the country. Balancing the serious tone, there’s lots of comedy to be found in Dear England – particularly in its first act.
Samantha Womack appears in Dear England(Image: Marc Brenner)
From depictions bumbling former managers to politicians of even greater incompetence – there was much laughter at the Bradford city centre venue on Tuesday evening. Football fans in the audience getting a kick out of the good natured send-ups of heroes including Harry Kane, Jordan Pickford and Yorkshire’s own Harry Maguire.
The sport lending itself surprisingly well to choreography, presented on a stunning set designed by Ed Devlin. The two dovetailing greatly with fluidity as fun unicorn training camp pool parties contrast with the stark feeling of vulnerability back in the changing room. The versatility of the play’s lighting, and its set-up, deserve great praise.
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A feeling of seriousness ramps up during the second act of director Rupert Goold’s play. Sturzaker, who at this stage in playing the former England gaffer has his posture down to a tee, uses his portrayal to delve into what Englishness is.
Prior to his team’s appearance at the Covid-delayed Euro 2000, asking what does the flag of St George actually mean? There’s no ignoring the of-the-moment observation which sees Southgate conclude that is ‘emotive and complicated’.
Not afraid to show the ugly side of the beautiful game, Dear England is at its best when it doesn’t just stick to football. Not shirking a tackle. Displaying great eloquence through its depiction of the horrific abuse Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bukayo Saka suffered after missing penalties in the aforementioned final of Euro 2020. Cleverly using the actual words of the latter, and Southgate, the play’s title also paying homage to manager’s words, to capture a country divided. As Womack’s Grange cuttingly remarks: “It is about learning to lose.”
The successful women’s England team is honoured in the popular play(Image: Marc Brenner)
Elsewhere, the recent achievements of England’s women rightly feature in Dear England with them earning enthusiastic applause of appreciation in Bradford on Tuesday night. While those present also enjoyed a jukebox playlist of football anthems at the Alhambra.
The cast all shine with former Corrie baddie Geoff Metcalfe, appearing in a number of roles raising a smile alongside Oscar Gough, as Harry Kane, and Connor Hawker as Sheffield’s great ‘Slabhead’ Harry Maguire.
Dear England is on-tour after proving a hit in London(Image: Marc Brenner)
Ultimately, on-the-pitch, perhaps Southgate’s time as England manager falls into heroic in failure – something which tends to define the English way. But Southgate, now Sir Gareth, of course, was much more than a football manager as Dear England depicts. As successor Thomas Tuchel quite rightly puts it as the engrossing narrative reaches its conclusion, Southgate made the impossible job possible again.
Later this year, fans of the production will be able to see Joseph Fiennes, who played Southgate in Dear England’s first incarnation, star in a BBC TV show capturing the drama. One does wonder what the modest Harrogate-based Southgate thinks of it all.
For now, Dear England is a top of the table adaptation which is worth seeing a hat-trick of times. As audience members left on Tuesday, many joined in with an airing of Baddiel and Skinner’s It’s Coming Home, we’ll have to wait and see if that’s the case come the summer festivites in the USA…
Dear England will be at The Alhambra Theatre, in Bradford, through to Saturday, February 21. You can buy tickets here.
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