Dear England Scores at Newcastle Theatre Royal
Football's coming home as the National Theatre's Olivier Award-winning Dear England takes to the stage at Newcastle Theatre Royal
We haven’t seen an audience like this since Gerry & Sewell brought the joy of the beautiful game to Newcastle Theatre Royal last year. It always puts a smile on my face to see a mixed audience. For the opening night of Dear England at this theatre, dads are with their sons, football fans have come with their friends to see this celebration of their favourite sport, and theatre-loving couples are keen to see how penalties will be portrayed without an actual football. We’re the latter, having learned from playwright James Graham that there are more similarities between football and theatre than you might’ve previously considered. The game is described as ‘the story’ and the pitch is referred to as the stage.
Dear England is a love letter to football underpinned by England’s painful pattern of loss, but it’s also the story of how manager Gareth Southgate transformed his team. Beginning with his own penalty trauma (famously missing the penalty in the 1996 Euros against Germany) and ending with a heart-warming celebration with the team he built, it’s a joyous story. But of course it’s a story we already know, and the cast have big boots to fill.
David Sturzaker plays Gareth Southgate brilliantly. He has all his mannerisms perfected, but most importantly his heartbreak and love for the sport. Jack Maddison plays an energetic Washington-born goalie Jordan Pickford in his professional theatre debut. It’s also Oscar Gough’s professional theatre debut and his take on Harry Kane is both comedic and convincing. Perhaps the bravest of the cast is Newcastle-born Jake Ashton-Nelson who’s playing Mackem Jordan Henderson in his Geordie hometown – yikes! Stars of stage and screen Huddersfield's George Rainsford and EastEnders’s Sam Womack are unsurprisingly brilliant. George plays an endearing if unlikable coach and a hilarious Boris Johnson, and Sam’s portrayal of psychologist Pippa Grange is key to the emotion weaved throughout this production as she helps the team, and its manager, face their fears to find their way to victory.
Steven Dykes plays multiple roles but Physio Phil is our favourite – his one-liners have us in stitches. Ian Kirkby’s Gary Lineker, complete with a packet of Walkers crisps, is genius, and Courtney George shows off her range playing Alex Scott, Theresa May and Sarina Wiegman – yes, the women’s team are thankfully celebrated in this production too!
This inspiring story is told on a circular platform which really highlights the rake in the Theatre Royal’s stage. The set is simplistic and screens are used to show sporting statistics and iconic clips from sporting history. Despite there being no physical ball, goals are believably scored with clever use of lighting and strong performances. But what really brings this whole show together is the audience’s reaction – much like at any football match – whether they’re laughing, cheering or holding back tears.
Between silly dances and serious chats about racism and what the England flag means to us, Dear England covers all the important topics. At one point during a quieter moment in the show an older gentleman reacts to a poignant scene with a hushed ‘hear, hear’. It’s these responses we’re sure James Graham was hoping for. The standing ovation and sing-along to Sweet Caroline is a bonus.
