Review: Dear England - Norwich Theatre
- vickil84
- 11 hours ago
- 2 min read
Sir Gareth Southgate's tenure, and legacy, as England manager is laid bare in James Graham's nostalgic and often emotionally charged play about the pressures of elite sport.
Beginning with the appointment of Southgate (David Sturzaker) as caretaker manager following the rather ignominious departure of Sam Allardyce, Dear England charts the course of the team's qualification and participation in four major tournaments. While football is the central theme, the piece is a glimpse into how Southgate helped foster a more supportive and less toxic culture among the players, and improved public perception of the team in the process.
Graham hasn't rewritten history, so ultimately it ends in disappointment, but the team are shown with the help of psychologist Pippa Grange (Samantha Womack) that learning how to lose is also an important part of the game.
Aided by Es Devlin's striking set, Director Rupert Goold maximises the drama of the on and off-field events, with recreations of the much-feared penalty shoot-outs proving just as tense as they felt at the time. The highly choreographed scene transitions and on-field action sequences were brilliantly devised by Co-Movement Directors Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, giving an almost balletic quality to the piece.
While many major political figures of the era and former England managers are gently lampooned by a multi-roling ensemble, the stand-out was Ian Kirkby's superb embodiment of Gary Lineker who provided a constant commentary on the mood of the nation.
It was a really stirring piece of theatre which perfectly captures a period of time full of societal change as well as within the English National team culture. You really don't need to be a football fan to enjoy it, although depictions of the likes of Graham Taylor, Sam Allardyce, and Matt Le Tissier are all the funnier for being in on the joke.
Dear England continues at Norwich Theatre Royal until 7 February.
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