Further casting announced for return of 'Dear England'

Dear England has been updated for this run following the 2024 UEFA EURO tournament to reflect Gareth Southgate’s final chapter as England manager.

Further casting has been revealed for the return of James Graham's Dear England, which opens at the National's Olivier theatre on 10 March, running until 24 May.

Joining the previously announced Gwilym Lee (SAS Rogue Heroes, Bohemian Rhapsody) in the role of Gareth Southgate is Liz White (Life on Mars) as Pippa Grange, sports psychologist and Head of People and Team Development at The Football Association from 2017 – 2019.

Returning cast members include Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford, Gunnar Cauthery as Gary Lineker, Tony Turner as Greg Dyke, John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke, and Ryan Whittle, who this time returns as Harry Kane.

They will be joined by new cast members Matt Bardock as Mike Webster, Jude Carmichael as Marcus Rashford, Gamba Cole as Raheem Sterling, Ryan Donaldson as Harry Maguire, Felixe Forde as Alex Scott, Kadell Herida as Jadon Sancho, Joshua Hill as Jordan Henderson, Martin Marquez as Sam Allardyce, Tane Siah as Bukayo Saka, and Tristan Waterson as Dele Alli.

Also joining the company are Jass Beki, Courtney George, Will Harrison-Wallace, Jordan Ford Silver, Philip Labey, and Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart. The cast will play additional roles as part of the ensemble.

Written by James Graham (Punch, Sherwood) and directed by the Almeida Theatre’s Artistic Director Rupert Goold (Patriots, Ink), Dear England follows the journey of the England men's football team under the management of Gareth Southgate. The play has been updated for this run following the 2024 UEFA EURO tournament to reflect Gareth Southgate’s final chapter as England manager.

In a five-star review for LondonTheatre.co.uk, our critic said of the West End run: "Transferring from the National to the Prince Edward Theatre, James Graham’s multi-faceted play Dear England, in Rupert Goold’s tremendous production, has the sweep and crowd-pleasing energy of a musical; it’s both populist and deeply thoughtful, and told with such warmth and wit that football fanatics and sceptics alike will probably be willing to die for Southgate and his team by the end."

The wider creative team includes set designer Es Devlin, costume designer Evie Gurney, lighting designer Jon Clark, co-movement directors Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, video designer Ash J Woodward, co-sound designers Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, additional music by Max Perryment, revival director Elin Schofield, casting director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, dialect coach Richard Ryder, voice coaches Cathleen McCarron and Tasmin Newlands, associate lighting designer Ben Jacobs, revival movement associate Thomas Herron, and associate sound designer Johnny Edwards.

Dear England had its world premiere in the Olivier theatre at the National in June 2023. It transferred to the West End from 9 October 2023 to 13 January 2024, and was then released to cinemas through National Theatre Live on 24 January 2024.

The BBC has commissioned a four-part drama of Dear England based on the stage production, which will broadcast later this year.

Book Dear England tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: past production image of Dear England. (Photo courtesy of production)