“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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“ ‘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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“It is Rupert Goold’s direction that maintains the play’s momentum. There is never a dull moment here as we move through scenes with the finely tuned detail of a football player dribbling across the pitch, darting this way and that but always with one goal in mind...This performance is truly universal and speaks to something greater than the sum of its parts.”
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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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"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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“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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“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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