The National Theatre today announces casting news for its highly anticipated national tour of Dear England. Leading the cast in ‘the decade’s biggest theatrical triumph’ (★★★★ Daily Telegraph) will be David Sturzaker as England manager Gareth Southgate, with East Enders and Mount Pleasant actress Samantha Womack playing the role of team psychologist Pippa Grange. Football and non-football fans alike will be brought to their feet for this inspiring, at times heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting story of Gareth Southgate’s revolutionary tenure as England manager.
The Olivier Award-winning Best New Play, which broke box office records during its West End run in 2023, will tour to 16 venues across England from 15 September 2025 until 14 March 2026 in a co-production with Josh Andrews and Stuart Galbraith for JAS Theatricals.
Dear England is written by the multi-award-winning stage and screen writer, James Graham (Punch, West End; Sherwood, BBC One), directed by the Almeida Theatre’s Artistic Director Rupert Goold (Patriots, Ink; Almeida Theatre/West End/Broadway) with set design by Es Devlin (Beyonce’s Renaissance, World Tour; The Lehman Trilogy, National Theatre).
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