London's National Finds More Casting for Encore Run of James Graham's Olivier-Winning Dear England | Playbill

London News London's National Finds More Casting for Encore Run of James Graham's Olivier-Winning Dear England

See who's joining previously announced star Gwilym Lee, who will lead the company as England football manager Gareth Southgate.

Gwilym Lee David Reiss

More casting has been revealed for the upcoming encore run of James Graham's Olivier-winning play Dear England, set to play London's National Theatre March 10–May 24 in the Olivier Theatre. That run will be followed by performances at The Lowry in Salford May 29–June 29. As previously announcedGwilym Lee (Bohemian Rhapsody) will lead the company as England football manager Gareth Southgate.

Newly announced to be joining him will be Liz White as sports psychologist Pippa Grange. Several members of the play's original company will return alongside them, including Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford, Gunnar Cauthery as Gary Lineker, Tony Turner as Greg Dyke, John Hodgkinson as Greg Clarke, and Ryan Whittle, this time as Harry Kane.

New to the production will be 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, along with ensemble members Jass Beki, Courtney George, Will Harrison-Wallace, Jordan Ford Silver, Philip Labey, and Ellouise Shakespeare-Hart. Additional casting is to be announced.

This encore run will feature a revised script that carries its events into 2025, including the outcome of this summer's UEFA EURO tournament.

The title is also in the process of becoming a limited series for the BBC, with original star Joseph Fiennes reprising his performance as Southgate.

The work, which made its world premiere at the National in 2023 before transferring to London's West End, is a fictionalized take on England's men's football team and its player-turned-manager Southgate. Read reviews for the 2023 world premiere at the National here.

The premiere run won two 2024 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, the latter for Will Close. The production features scenic design by Es Devlin, costume design by Evie Gurney, lighting design by Jon Clark, video design by Ash J Woodward, movement direction by Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, sound design by Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons, additional music by Max Perryment, and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor. Elin Schofield is directing this encore run from Goold's original work.

“I am thrilled to return to the stage after seven years (and to the National Theatre after nearly twice that) to play Gareth Southgate in Rupert Goold’s brilliant production," said Lee in an earlier statement. "I can’t say I grew up with football in my bones, like some, but even I was swept up on the wave of excitement and optimism that this group of players under Gareth Southgate created again and again. They struck a chord that resonated beyond the world of football and started a conversation about things like identity, leadership, and Englishness that James Graham so passionately encapsulates in this play. I can’t wait to take on the role and continue this conversation.”

Visit NationalTheatre.org.uk and TheLowry.com for tickets.

 
Today’s Most Popular News:
 X

Blocking belongs
on the stage,
not on websites.

Our website is made possible by
displaying online advertisements to our visitors.

Please consider supporting us by
whitelisting playbill.com with your ad blocker.
Thank you!