National Theatre Live Screening: Dear England
Wednesday, July 24, 2024 at 6:30pm
A New Play by James Graham
A production from National Theatre
Running time: 2 hours and 50 minutes, including a 20-minute interval
This abridged extract is from an article by Rory Smith in the National Theatre’s Dear England program.
It is hard not to feel that being England manager is a poisoned chalice. The inherently curious hostility of the media will, ultimately, ensure that everyone is found wanting.
This is because to be manager of England is not simply to be tasked with delivering glory unto the country – ending however many years of hurt – but acting as a standard-bearer both for the English game and, increasingly, the country as a whole. The England national team bears out the historian Eric Hobsbawm’s assertion that a nation, an ‘imagined community of millions, seems more real as a team of 11 named people.’ The person in charge of that team, then, is less a coach and more an avatar. In some lights, they might even look like a king.
Southgate took charge a few months after the Brexit vote; he has, in his seven years in charge, overseen three major tournaments, one social justice moment, one pandemic and an ongoing cost of living crisis. He has done it all in age of disinformation and echo chambers, of entrenched opinion and leveraged online fury, when the country arguably feels more divided than ever. He has been asked to act as an avatar for a nation that does not, on some fundamental level, really know how it wants to be represented.
Cast, in alphabetical order
Jordan Pickford: Josh Barrow
Gary Lineker, Sven-Göran Eriksson, Boris Johnson, Wayne Rooney: Gunnar Cauthery
Harry Kane: Will Close
Alex Scott, Roxanne, Theresa May: Crystal Condie
Gareth Southgate: Joseph Fiennes
Jordan Henderson: Will Fletcher
Sam Allardyce, Fabio Capello, Panama Manager, Physio Phil: Sean Gilder
Bukayo Saka: Ebenezer Gyau
Marcus Rashford: Darragh Hand
Greg Clarke, Gianni Infantino, Matt Le Tissier: John Hodgkinson
Harry Maguire: Adam Hugill
Pippa Grange: Gina McKee
Jadon Sancho, Kieran Trippier: Albert Magashi
Raheem Sterling: Kel Matsena
Dele Alli: Lewis Shepherd
Mike Webster: Paul Thornley
Greg Dyke, Steve Holland, Graham Taylor: Tony Turner
Eric Dier: Ryan Whittle
Ensemble: Nick Barclay, Tashinga Bepete, Bill Caple, Will Harrison-Wallace, Miranda Heath
Director: Rupert Goold
Set Designer: Es Devlin
Costume Designer: Evie Gurney
Lighting Designer: Jon Clark
Co-Movement Directors: Ellen Kane, Hannes Langolf
Co-Sound Designers: Dan Balfour, Tom Gibbons
Additional Music: Max Perryment
Video Designer: Ash J. Woodward
Director for Screen: Christine Lalla
Technical Producer: Christopher C. Bretnall
Lighting Director: Bernie Davis
Sound Supervisor: Paul Barton
Script Supervisor: Stephanie Rose
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