Dear England
Chichester Festival Theatre
until Sat 29th Nov
OK. I am the first to admit I am not a football fan and my knowledge of the national game is embarrassingly poor. I am also ashamed to admit that despite being married for over 25years I have not yet convinced my husband to become a theatre fan. We pursue our different passions quite separately; well, they do say that opposites attract.
A play about football, could it be possible for our two worlds to collide? We shimmied down to The Festival Theatre in Chichester to find out.
‘Dear England’ was written by James Graham and premiered at the National Theatre in 2023 when England had against the odds reached the finals in the 2020 Euros and were on track to win the 2024 competition. After England’s subsequent defeat, Graham has rewritten the second half the play to reflect this.
Telling the tale of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as England men’s football manager, “Dear England” looks at more than just football in this zippy yet well-paced story-telling of the years 2016 to 2024.
As the play attested – Gareth (played by David Sturzaker) was the most successful men’s football manager since Sir Alf Ramsey won the World Cup in 1966. In the space of 8 years Southgate took England to 2 finals and 2 semi-finals in major competitions. However, on each occasion England failed to win a trophy.
It is this failure which goes to the heart of the play’s theme. Why does England (as a nation) believe they are entitled to win a major men’s football tournament?
The question is not answered, although there are some fascinating insights into how Southgate brought a new perspective to the England training camps, even employing a psychologist (Dr Pippa Grange played by Samantha Womack) to work with the players to help them overcome their fears and mis-apprehensions.
This new style of coaching does not go down well with some of the existing staff, and the tension is played out between manager, coaches and players in a thoughtful and thought-provoking manner.
The actors that play the manager and players are very thoughtfully done. Apart from Womack and Sturzaker, Oscar Gough stood out as the awkward Harry Kane who is not quite sure of his role in the team. The team collectively were sharp and beautifully choreographed particularly during the ‘games’ weaving between each other and kicking the imaginary ball perfectly in time to the sound effects. With the football commentary (Ian Kirby plays Gary Linekar, complete with his bag of crisps) and the roar of the crowd, it was easy to imagine the atmosphere of each game.
The staging is very simple but effective – essentially using changing lockers and cheap plastic seating to good effect with settings imaginatively created on a digital backdrop.
The story is told well and manages to capture the successes of the women’s England football team as well as the nasty side that comes with football, the endemic racism and the unrealistic expectations of the fans.
It would be easy for the story to slide into a jingoistic take on England and its football teams, but the script and actors do not allow this to happen.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening which will resonate with all ages, irrespective of their interest in football. My hubby and I found the perfect play to please us both. However, it is almost impossible to think what to take him to next.
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Reviewer: Sammi O’Neill
Photo: Mark Brenner
Cast
Stuart Ash
Jake Ashton-Nelson
Luke Azille
Ian Bartholomew
Jass Beki
Natalie Boakye
Ashley Byam
Ebube Chukwuma
Sam Craig
Steven Dykes
Courtney George
Oscar Gough
Jayden Hanley
Connor Hawker
Miles Henderson
Ian Kirky
Tom Lane
Jack Maddison
Liam Prince-Donnelly
George Rainsford
David Sturzaker
Alex Wadham
Samantha Womack