Dear England

Dear England is a play about England football manager Gareth Southgate, the pressures of elite sport, and the role of the national men's football team in the national psyche. The play explores how Southgate helped to change notions of masculinity on the England team. Written by James Graham, it opened in June 2023 at the National Theatre in London starring Joseph Fiennes and directed by Rupert Goold. The title of the play comes from the open letter Southgate wrote to England fans in 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. The play won the 2024 Laurence Olivier Awards for Best New Play and Will Close won the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Play for his portrayal of Harry Kane. Playwright James Graham said after the England men lost the UEFA Euro 2024 final to Spain that he would rewrite the ending of Dear England to bring it up to date.