Dear England: 2025 Edition

It’s time to change the game.

The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t England’s men win at their own game?

The team has the worst track record for penalties in the world and manager Gareth Southgate knows he needs to open his mind and face up to the years of hurt to take team and country back to the promised land.

James Graham’s ’rousing new play’ (Tatler) is a fast-moving portrayal of Gareth Southgate’s reign as England football manager that presents a gripping examination of both nation and game. ’Uplifting, funny and more entertaining than a World Cup final’ (Tatler).

This revised edition, updated by Graham to reflect Gareth Southgate’s final chapter as England manager, was published to coincide with the return of Dear England to the National Theatre in 2025 and subsequent run at Lowry, Salford.

James Graham is a multi award-winning playwright and screenwriter. His play This House gained critical acclaim, enjoyed a sell-out run at the National Theatre’s Olivier in 2013 and its 2017 West End revival was Olivier-nominated. It was chosen by popular vote as the best play of the 2010’s by Methuen Drama. James created theatre history when his two plays Ink, about the early days of Rupert Murdoch, and Labour of Love, a romantic political comedy, played in theatres next to each other in the West End in 2017. James won an Olivier award in 2018 for Labour of Love and Ink transferred to Broadway in 2019, receiving six Tony award nominations. James’ play The Vote (Donmar Warehouse) aired in real time on TV in the final 90 minutes of the 2015 polling day and was BAFTA-nominated. His most recent television film, Brexit: An Uncivil War (Channel 4/HBO) is nominated for a 2019 Emmy Award.