This is not simply a play about football. It is a play about leadership, vulnerability and the quiet determination it takes to change a culture, both inside a team and across a nation.
Dear England, which tells the story of Gareth Southgate’s tenure as manager of the England men’s football team, opened at Oxford’s New Theatre last night to a rapturous response, earning a deserved standing ovation.
Set against the backdrop of England’s long history of near-misses and heartbreak, the play begins in 2016, when Southgate is handed what many considered an impossible task: to transform a talented but fractured group of players into a cohesive team capable of carrying the weight of national expectation. His approach, rooted in empathy, reflection and psychological resilience, was initially met with scepticism, if not outright resistance.
What unfolds on stage is a compelling journey of personal and collective change. We watch as arrogance gives way to trust, isolation to unity, and fear to belief. Along the way, the audience is invited not just to cheer results, but to understand the human cost of failure, and the courage required to keep stepping forward.
The production is uplifting, emotional, funny and quietly inspiring, everything you might hope for from a piece of theatre that balances national mythology with personal truth.
The performances are central to its success. David Sturzaker, as Gareth Southgate, captures the former manager’s calm, thoughtful presence with remarkable precision. His Southgate is composed but deeply attentive, protective of his players in a way that feels almost parental. Around him, the ensemble convincingly inhabit the personalities and physicalities of the England squad, making their portrayals feel grounded rather than caricatured.
Particularly effective are the behind-the-scenes moments, which shed light on the pressures faced away from the roar of the crowd. The play is at its most powerful when exploring the psychology of elite sport, especially the unbearable tension of that solitary walk to the penalty spot, with millions watching. The role of performance psychologist Dr Pippa Grange, played by Samantha Womack, provides a compelling lens through which the team’s transformation is understood, anchoring the story in emotional intelligence rather than bravado.
By the final moments, it is hard not to feel swept up in the collective journey. Dear England succeeds not because it glorifies football, but because it recognises the humanity behind it.
Dear England runs at the New Theatre, Oxford, until Saturday.
Tickets and further information are available at: https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/dear-england/new-theatre-oxford/
