Dear England (West End) London Reviews and Tickets
Show-Score Member Reviews (88)
See it if My show of the year, really engaging. And you don't even need to know or like football.
Don't see it if Support Scotland.
See it if you enjoy a really good show. this one is truly a masterpiece
Don't see it if you don’t like theatre. I honestly cant find any other reason
See it if you like football or you're clueless about football; care about being kind in life; you enjoy dynamic staging and choreography
Don't see it if you find a busy stage difficult - at times there is strobe lighting, choreography, giant overhead ring light and pumping music Read more
See it if EVEN if you know nothing about football. They tell you all you need to know!
Don't see it if you only like short plays
See it if You’re a football fan and also if you’re not
Don't see it if You don’t appreciate great writing and performance
See it if You like a well written play with some great acting. You don’t have to like football to love this
Don't see it if Can’t think of a reason…
See it if You love football. Even more so if you love James Graham - he strikes again with a genius telling of something that shouldn’t interest me.
Don't see it if You don’t like interesting staging and clever storytelling.
See it if You like football
Don't see it if you don't have an interest in the sport
Critic Reviews (9)
"Rupert Goold, never one to leave his showmanship in the locker room, has rarely married storytelling with spectacle with more of a flourish. Between him and Graham and an ensemble so good it would be invidious to pick out individuals (sorry, lads) they ensure that a huge cast of characters are delineated with wit and clarity."
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“When the curtain falls it’s a case of ‘they think it’s all over’ but of course this time, it’s not. Outside a West End theatre, Southgate remains in the job and shows no signs of going anytime soon. So, although Graham doesn’t have a true ending to this story, Dear England stands proud as a joyful portrayal of the game, and a heartfelt celebration of teamwork.”
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“While the acting and direction are as good as it gets, it really is the writing that puts Dear England at the top of the league...The way this play manages to connect with its audience, finding its way into their very soul, is something few shows manage to achieve successfully. “
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“Against a fracturing sense of national identity, ‘’Dear England’ makes manifest the everyday glue that binds us...God knows what the tourists will make of it. No matter. This is a rare and special thing – a play that dares to let us feel not so bad about being us.”
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“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.”
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“This is still a terrific evening of navel-gazing that the nation has to keep doing, in search of an answer to what it means in these post-Brexit days to be not just an England footballer, but English.”
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“James Graham’s superb play ‘Dear England’ is a love letter not only to the sport, but to the power it has to affect change across a nation and within individuals. An extraordinarily inspiring and enlightening production, it explores human possibility and positive transformation through football, demonstrating how beautiful relationships can be generated when care is taken.”
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“ ‘Dear England’ is a play for our conflicted and troubled country, exploring the complexities of fandom and national pride in such a joyful way, whilst allowing space to recognise the racism...it’s a beautifully clear, rousing, and celebratory exploration of football that has the power to reach the hearts of even the most uninitiated audience members, and give them the chance to feel it all, from the inside out.”
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