Review: DEAR ENGLAND, National Theatre
Photo credit: Marc Brenner
This revival of Dear England is theatre at its collective best.
James Graham’s Dear England is home at the National Theatre, but this is no victory lap simply celebrating the 2024 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Play. That version of the play ended with Gareth Southgate still in post as England Football Manager leaving the question open as to what might be his legacy. The result of the Euros 2024 provided a partial answer to that question, and Graham has reworked his play to take that into account. This Bestie did not see the first iteration of the play but this version not only shows why the original deserved all its accolades, but also Graham’s skill as a writer in avoiding a downbeat conclusion.
Football is a game of two halves, and this is certainly a play of two acts: with a running time close to three hours, each act is about the length of a football match. The time though, as in any good match, flies by. Act One starts with Southgate’s, still haunting him, memory of his 1996 missed penalty and England’s subsequent loss to Germany of the Euros’ semi-final. With Southgate initially appointed as caretaker manager and then full manager, the act follows him and the team through to England finally putting their history of poor performances in penalty shootouts behind them, advancing to the 2018 World Cup quarter finals by winning against Colombia in a shootout. This act’s leisurely focus is on Southgate’s means of bringing the England players together as a team, through focusing on football as a narrative with a beginning, middle and end, and the over-fixation on the end, on winning, not being in the team’s best interests.
Centre stage through much of this act, Gwilym Lee presents an engaging Southgate. With measured speaking, calm demeanour and eyebrows often his most animated feature, Lee shows a man determined to walk his talk. Bringing in the psychologist Pippa Grange (an excellent Liz White) to help the players open up and trust each other more is, as might be expected, initially met with resistance. How this resistance was overcome is not entirely clear, although a touching Act Two scene between Grange and Marcus Rashford (newcomer Jude Carmichael showing he should go far) provides some insight into how Grange might have brought the men round to her way of thinking. Closing the loop of Southgate’s 1996 missed penalty with the team’s 2018 penalty success provides a rousing end to the act. Despite knowing that England will score five penalties, putting the audience into the position of goalkeeper, the ensemble, lighting and sound combine into a theatrically thrilling recreation of that triumphant moment.
The tone and pace shift in Act Two: after all, there are three more tournaments to cover. There is now more emphasis on the team and its individual players. With the action continuing apace, the number of issues emerging raises more questions than answers. For example, how the team came collectively to agree to taking the knee and the booing that led to Southgate writing the ‘Dear England’ letter from which the play takes its title is only touched upon. The Lionesses 2022 Euros win is acknowledged, but do the men’s team have nothing to learn from that success? And a key pivot when Southgate ignoring his own advice and daring to begin focusing on the end, on winning, leads to Grange’s departure is matter-or-factually presented.
In contrast to the rousing end of Act One, England’s defeat to Spain in the 2024 Euros is quietly played, followed up with Southgate handing over to his successor Thomas Tuchel (Gunnar Cauthery) whose parting shot to Southgate is that the team is going to be fine. This could have been a downer of an epithet, but again Graham’s skilful writing convinces us that this could be precisely the kind of legacy that would satisfy Southgate. And a rousing chorus of ‘Sweet Caroline’ provides a sense of hope.
If a core theme of Dear England is that a team can be more than the sum of its parts whilst still acknowledging individual strengths, then the National Theatre’s production team embodies this magnificently. Originally directed by Rupert Goold and revived by Elin Schofield, the actors become a strong ensemble, with the majority having to play multiple roles. Es Devin’s stripped back design is stunning, the huge circular light hanging over the stage evoking everything from the Wembley arch to stadium arc lights to old news reels. With only plastic chairs and bare wood cabinets, a whole range of locations are created. Jon Clark’s lighting not only enhances the design but in casting shadows onto the side walls of the Olivier auditorium conjures up the sense of being in an arena. Music (Max Perryman) and movement (Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf) spans operatic, balletic and pop. Together, this visual and auditory feast demonstrates that diversity need not lead to chaos.
The NT’s Dear England shows that, just as Southgate claims for football, theatre has the power to create memories that can last in the collective consciousness.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Mike Askew
Dear England plays at the National Theatre until 24 May before touring, with further info here.
