Dear England
by James Graham
The Olivier Award-winning smash hit returns to the National Theatre
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?
The 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.
Writer James Graham (Punch, Nottingham Playhouse; Sherwood, BBC) updates his epic examination of nation and game to reflect Gareth Southgate’s final chapter as England manager. Rupert Goold (Patriots, Cold War, Almeida Theatre) once again directs this ‘back-of-the-net winner’ (The i).
Please note this is a fictionalised account of the struggles and successes of England’s football teams, based on extensive research and interviews. It features characters inspired by some real-life individuals, and some composite characters entirely imagined by the author.
Other ways to watch
The original 2023 production
Reviews
For the original 2023 production
‘A theatrical spectacle as uplifting as any England victory.’
Telegraph
★★★★★
‘A back-of-the-net winner’
The i
★★★★★
‘The beautiful game in a beautiful play’
WhatsOnStage
Suitability
Please note: This performance contains offensive language, strobe lights, bright lights directly focused at the audience and loud noises throughout.
Supporters
The commissioning of this production was supported by the Sir Peter Shaffer Charitable Foundation.
The original production at the National Theatre was generously supported by the Dear England Team of Production Champions.
Gallery
Rehearsal images
Videos
Cast includes
Matt Bardock
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025), The Antipodes and Blue Remembered Hills
Josh Barrow
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End) and If Not Now, When?
Jass Beki
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Jude Carmichael
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Gunnar Cauthery
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), Another World: Losing Our Children to Islamic State, The Suicide, This House and The White Guard
Gamba Cole
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Ryan Donaldson
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Jordan Ford Silver
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Felixe Forde
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Courtney George
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025) and Ballet Shoes
Will Harrison-Wallace
Ensemble / Understudy Sam Allardyce/Physio Phil/Fabio Capello/Panama Manager/Greg Dyke/Steve Holland/Graham Taylor
Will Harrison-Wallace
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End) and The Lehman Trilogy (also in the West End and Park Avenue Armory, New York)
Miles Henderson
Ensemble / Understudy Jordan Pickford/Harry Maguire/Jordan Henderson/Eric Dier
Miles Henderson
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Kadell Herida
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Joshua Hill
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
John Hodgkinson
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End)
Philip Labey
Ensemble / Understudy Mike Webster/Gary Lineker/Sven-Göran Eriksson/Thomas Tuchel/Boris Johnson/Greg Clarke/Gianni Infantino/Matt Le Tissier/Vicar
Philip Labey
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025) and Ballet Shoes
Tom Lane
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Gwilym Lee
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025), Oedipus and Danton’s Death
Martin Marquez
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025), Othello, This House, Husbands and Sons, Mother Courage and Her Children, Anything Goes (also West End) and Love’s Labour’s Lost
Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025) and The House of Bernarda Alba
Tane Siah
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025)
Tony Turner
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), The Visit, This House, Burnt by the Sun, Present Laughter, Playing with Fire, The UN Inspector and The Alchemist
Tristan Waterson
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End)
Liz White
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025), Dixon and Daughters, Port and A Woman Killed with Kindness
Ryan Whittle
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End) and Othello
Artistic team
Writer
James Graham
James Graham
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023, in the West End, at the Lowry and on UK tour), This House (Cottesloe, Olivier, in the West End and on tour) and Boys from the Blackstuff (Liverpool’s Royal Court, the National Theatre and in the West End)
Director
Rupert Goold
Rupert Goold
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025), The Effect, Earthquakes in London and Time and the Conways
Set Designer
Es Devlin
Es Devlin
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and at Prince Edward), Coriolanus, The Motive and the Cue (also Noël Coward), The Lehman Trilogy (also West End, Broadway and on tour), The Crucible, Light Shining in Buckinghamshire and Ugly Lies the Bone
Costume Designer
Evie Gurney
Evie Gurney
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), The Grapes of Wrath, Much Ado About Nothing and Antony and Cleopatra
Lighting Designer
Jon Clark
Jon Clark
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023, in the West End and UK tour), The Importance of Being Earnest, The Effect (also The Shed, NY), The Motive and the Cue (also West End), The Lehman Trilogy (also Broadway, West End and international tour), Manor, Absolute Hell, Amadeus, As You Like It, The Beaux Stratagem, Hamlet, Othello, The Effect (2012), Collaborators, A Woman Killed with Kindness, Greenland, Pains of Youth, Our Class, Damned by Despair, Women of Troy, The Cat in the Hat, Beauty and the Beast and Hansel and Gretel
Co-Movement Director
Ellen Kane
Ellen Kane
For the National Theatre: as co-movement director, Dear England (2025), and as choreographer, Ballet Shoes and Dear England (2023; also at Prince Edward)
Co-Movement Director
Hannes Langolf
Hannes Langolf
For the National Theatre: as co-movement director, Dear England (2025); movement and choreography for Dear England (2023; also at Prince Edward), Can We Talk About This? (as choreography assistant for DV8 and on international tour) and JOHN (as Creative Associate and performer for DV8 and on international tour)
Video Designer
Ash J Woodward
Ash J Woodward
For the National Theatre: as video and projection designer includes Dear England (2025 and 2023), Ballet Shoes, Coriolanus, Roald Dahl’s The Witches and Hex
Co-Sound Designer
Dan Balfour
Dan Balfour
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End)
Co-Sound Designer
Tom Gibbons
Tom Gibbons
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), Coriolanus, The Antipodes, Home, I’m Darling (also West End), People, Places and Things (also West End; 2016 Olivier Award for Best Sound Design), Hedda Gabler, Sunset at the Villa Thalia and The Red Barn
Additional Music
Max Perryment
Max Perryment
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End)
Revival Director
Elin Schofield
Elin Schofield
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025) and LOVE at Park Avenue Armory and on European tour
Casting Director
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor
Bryony Jarvis-Taylor
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), Ballet Shoes, Coriolanus, London Tide, Dear Octopus, Roald Dahl’s The Witches, The Odyssey, Dixon and Daughters, Romeo and Julie, Much Ado About Nothing, Trouble in Mind, Hex, After Life, Dick Whittington, The Visit, My Brilliant Friend and Peter Gynt
Casting Director
Lilly Mackie
Lilly Mackie
Dialect Coach
Richard Ryder
Richard Ryder
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025 and 2023), Coriolanus, Jane Eyre, One Man, Two Guvnors, A Taste of Honey, NT 50 Years On Stage, HOME, This House, Port, Cocktail Sticks and Hymn
Voice Coach
Cathleen McCarron
Cathleen McCarron
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025, 2023 and in the West End), Ballet Shoes, The Other Place for A Zeldin Company, Coriolanus, Mnemonic (2024, with Complicité), Nye (also Wales Millennium Centre), Till the Stars Come Down, The House of Bernarda Alba, The Confessions and The Motive and the Cue, Death of England: Closing Time and Romeo and Julie
Voice Coach
Shereen Ibrahim
Shereen Ibrahim
For the National Theatre: company voice work includes Dear England (2025 and 2023), The Importance of Being Earnest, Coriolanus, The Grapes of Wrath, Underdog: The Other Other Brontë, Dear Octopus, Dixon and Daughters, The Odyssey, Hamlet, The Crucible, Jack Absolute Flies Again and The Father and the Assassin (also dialect work); dialect work includes Standing at the Sky’s Edge, All of Us and Our Generation; and acting work includes The Black Album and The Hour We Knew Nothing of Each Other
Associate Set Designer
Alice Hallifax
Alice Hallifax
For the National Theatre: associate work for Dear England (2025); and assistant work for Coriolanus, Dear England (2023) and Motive and the Cue
Associate Set Designer
Anna Niamh Gorman
Anna Niamh Gorman
Associate Lighting Designer
Ben Jacobs
Ben Jacobs
For the National Theatre: associate work for Dear England (2025 and 2023) and ANNA
Revival Movement Associate
Thomas Herron
Thomas Herron
For the National Theatre: associate work for Dear England (2025) and Standing at the Sky’s Edge (also at Gillian Lynne)
Associate Video Designer
Hayley Egan
Hayley Egan
For the National Theatre: Dear England (2025), Complicité’s Mnemonic (2024), London Tide and The Boy with Two Hearts (also Wales Millennium Centre)
Associate Sound Designer
Johnny Edwards
Johnny Edwards
For the National Theatre: as associate sound designer, Dear England (2025), Coriolanus, Blues for an Alabama Sky and Home, I’m Darling on UK tour
Staff Director
Connie Treves
Connie Treves
For the National Theatre: as staff director, Dear England (2025)
Ticket prices
Monday – Saturday evenings and matinees:
£25, £39, £59, £79, £99
Previews 10 – 14 March:
£20, £35, £49, £64, £79
For concessions and discounts, see Ways to save
Please note the 6.30pm start time on the following performances: Tue 8 April, Thu 17 April, Thu 1 May and Tue 6 May.
Visit our Ticketing FAQs for information on how to book, ticket exchanges and more.
Prices may change according to demand
Assisted performances
Captioned
BSL Interpreted
Audio described
No Chilled performance available.
No Dementia-friendly performances available.
Relaxed performance
The interpreter for the BSL performance will be announced closer to the performance date.
Audio-described performances are preceded by a Touch Tour, 90 minutes before the performance start time. Call the Access line on 020 7452 3961 to book Touch Tours.
We have an allocation of tickets held for members of our Access scheme and if any of the assisted performances above are shown as “Sold Out”, tickets may still be available: Please log in to your account to view all available tickets, or call Box Office on 020 7452 3961
Smart caption glasses
Are planned to be available for performances of Dear England from 7.30pm, Wednesday 26 March.
Bookshop
Buy the poster for the original run of Dear England
Visit the Bookshop website for a wide range of playtexts, gifts and prints of past production posters.