Gareth Southgate’s reign will be depicted at the National Theatre in June
Si Hawkins
A lot of column inches have been written about Gareth Southgate managing England – positive, negative, or oddly erotic in that waistcoat-rippling summer of 2018. Now his tenure is inspiring actual proper culture, on a prestigious London stage, with a Hollywood heartthrob playing the affable gaffer.
Dear England kicks off at the National Theatre in June, having been penned by James Graham.
“I’ve always been mildly obsessed by the England team,” the acclaimed playright tells FFT. Graham calls Southgate “a very humble guy” but sees drama in his story, from anguish at Euro 96 to inspirational leader. “I think it’s Shakespearean,” he says. “It’s got that arc, of an individual doing something extraordinary against the backdrop of a nation.” Bill would surely approve, while also throwing in a few puns and some cross-dressing.
This production is a big deal – The National is Wembley for serious playwrights – and it’s named after the open letter Southgate wrote to the nation before Euro 2020, praising the players’ activism and calling for unity and positive patriotism. “That confirmed for me that there’s something very interesting going on around the culture Gareth was trying to disrupt and gently shift,” explains Graham.
Dear England tackles England’s evolution, from the Euro 2016 Iceland embarrassment, pre-Southgate, to Russia 2018’s highs – “breaking that penalty curse against Colombia,” recalls Graham, adding, “Even back then I thought, ‘There’s something in this – the unlikely figure of Gareth Southgate leading a play.’”
Who can do him justice? Step forward, Joseph F
