The Olivier Award winning hit Dear England has got off the team bus and arrived at Norwich Theatre Royal. With a book by James Graham, the play captivated audiences in London and is now on a tour. The story follows the tenure of Gareth Southgate (David Sturzaker) and his history making tenure as England manager, bringing in Pippa Grange (Samantha Womack) to explore the psychological side of the beautiful game.
I didn’t know what to expect from this going in, how seriously the play would take itself. The closest comparison I can make though is Ted Lasso, the hit Apple TV drama. It is much funnier than I thought, with some very witty dialogue and great line deliveries such as “you’re a wizard, Harry!”. There are some moments the play becomes more parody than comedy, as the late great Sven-Göran Eriksson marches down a catwalk in a posh suit. Or the shuffling of Prime Minsters over the short time frame.
The book leans into the characterisations we believe of certain footballers. This works well I think at capturing the essence of the players on stage, and Jordan Pickford’s determined, energetic demeanour was a treat to watch and brought a lot of laughs. Harry Kane’s arc on being captain as well as feelings on how he talked was very impactful as well, and got down to how this is more than a game to the players.
That’s a key thing this play delves into, how it’s more than a game. Racism is quite a key topic among the players for the 2020 Euros, and was very powerful and emotional to watch. Mental health is also identified as a historically taboo topic in sport, especially football. There’s exploration of what representing England means and the pressure that creates. There is also of course the impact the mind has on the infamous penalty shootouts, how it can help players take the penalties, and also dealing with the fallout afterwards.
Tackling the mental health of the team is Pippa Grange, and Womack delivers a very measured performance dealing with some very complex issues. Her very calm demeanour contrasted well to the diverse characters she interacted with, and it made it funnier when she dropped an F bomb. Pippa Grange is brought in by Gareth Southgate, as a means of changing the team’s mindset. Sturzaker does a terrific characterisation of Southgate, with especially good comedic timing as we see the England manager’s innocence. Southgate’s emotion was also explored superbly though, and the crushing lows of defeats were evident on stage and Sturzaker’s portrayal made me teary eyed.
Overall, the 8 years of Gareth’s tenure was a huge success with such high highs, and also crushing emotional memories as England came so close and yet so far. We all remember where we were during the two Euros finals, and this play took me right back in the best possible way. Football and watching England play football are very raw and emotional experiences, and I remembered just how good at this game we are, and how good a team of people we are, regardless of the result.
Dear England is playing from 3rd to 7th February at Norwich Theatre Royal. Book your tickets now!
Chris.
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