❝Dear England❞  is a play about England football manager Gareth Southgate, premiered at the National Theatre in 2023.

The name stems from the open letter Southgate wrote to England fans in 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is an entertaining and thoughtful exploration of the highs and lows of the England football team, as well as the high and lows of the nation itself. Despite the football focus, the play’s humour and drama was enjoyed by all.

 The acting was so intense and immersive that even some of our teachers felt emotional towards the end!

Although it was almost 3 hours long, even students who did not have any particular interest in football thoroughly enjoyed the performance.

 Here are some reviews from two Year 10 students:

❝The play was very effective at meeting my expectations, even though it showed a tough period in English football history. The use of sound effects, lighting, and humour helped create an atmosphere of joy and laughter, keeping the audience and myself engaged throughout. This experience helped me realise that presenting a play involves more than just the actors’ performances—it also relies on external elements like technical effects and staging. Overall, I believe this has been the best play I have seen in person, and I confidently give it full 5 stars on my behalf!❞

 - Esmatullah

 ❝  'Dear England’ is a play about Southgate's managerial career at the England National Football team. Overall, it was an exceptional play and was very fun and enjoyable to watch, even for those who do not watch football. On a whole, this play was very good and I would recommend it to a lot of people, even those who don’t particularly enjoy watching football.❞

- Aryan