James Graham has had a lot of success in recent years writing for stage and screen. His Dear England had a sell out two month run at the National Theatre’s Olivier stage in the summer. And off of the back of that success the show has now transferred to the West End where it will play until the New Year, writes Christopher Peacock.
Dear England focuses on the managerial journey of Gareth Southgate as the England team football manager and the squad and the backroom staff he has assembled along the way. In an era where the big streaming platforms have TV production companies following behind the scenes of sports teams around the world, what Graham offers here is a deep dive to explore the nation’s identity and psyche, something placed into sharp focus based on the performances of our team in major championship competitions. Especially when it comes to penalty shootouts.
Football tends not to lend itself to the confines of a theatre stage. The drama of a penalty shootout however certainly does; the constant building of tension and emotional release play over and over. That could get repetitive but Rupert Goold’s directions never lets the energy dip. Utilising great set design from Es Devlin, with multiple stage revolves and an interactive lighting halo above the stage, not only is the show constantly in motion, even in the stiller moments the ensemble are captivating.
In the modern age of sport and social media we have so much access to our country’s sports stars and cultural figures. Often, portrayals of these fall into caricature and pastiche. However, the whole cast does amazing well in their performing of these household names, even though there is a lot of comedy to be had and exploited. Joseph Fiennes as Southgate is the key to all of the performances, nuanced and exacting he does not stray too far into the comedic overplaying of the England manager and finds heart and compassion in his choices.
Being a football fan, I, like many others in the auditorium watching, can recall exactly where I was watching each of those tournament knockouts and although it felt at times like reliving trauma, it is a shared trauma of a nation of football fans that the show highlights. Even for those that are not fans of the beautiful game the excellent execution of a very witty script makes for a great night’s entertainment.
Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton St,W1D 4HS until January 13th. Times: Monday to Saturday: 7:00pm; Thursday and Saturday: 2:00pm. Admission: £15 – £169.50.
