Dear England is coming back for a new season. James Graham's Olivier-winning play, also filming a limited series for the BBC, will return to London's National Theatre for an encore run March 10-May 24, 2025, followed by another run at Salford's The Lowry May 29-June 29, 2025. Casting is to be announced.
The new run will feature a revised script that carries its events into 2025, including the outcome of this summer's UEFA EURO tournament. Tickets will go on sale June 14 at 10 AM BST, coinciding with the launch of the tournament.
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, which starred Joseph Fiennes, won two 2024 Olivier Awards, including Best New Play and Best Actor in a Supporting Role, the latter for Will Close. Directed by Rupert Goold, the production features scenic design by Es Devlin, costume design by Evie Gurney, lighting design by Jon Clark, movement direction by Ellen Kane and Ash J Woodward, and casting by Bryony Jarvis-Taylor.
"To continue the life of Dear England feels like coming top of the group and moving onto the knockout stages—it's genuinely thrilling, and I'm so grateful to all the audiences who supported the show," says Graham in a statement. "Knowing that we welcomed thousands of people who had never see a play before was a huge honor for us all, but also a responsibility. We hope to continue that mission in London and now in Salford, too."
"Dear England is a captivating examination of football, leadership, and English identity that has already resonated with so many people, and we now have the unique opportunity of restaging it with a script which will reflect the outcome from this summer’s Euros," adds National Director Rufus Norris. "In bringing the narrative right up to 2025, we acknowledge how pertinent and urgent the work is—a living, breathing play that cuts straight to the heart of our nation’s psyche. James and Rupert have created such a special show, and we’re thrilled that even more audiences in London and Greater Manchester will have the chance to experience it."
Visit NationalTheatre.org.uk and TheLowry.com for tickets.
