Dear England by James Graham. Prince Edward Theatre, Old Compton Street, London W1D to 13th January 2024.

4****: William Russell.

Transfers are funny things and this transfer from the vast spaces of the Olivier at the National Theatre to the large, but traditional Prince Edward is no exception – Es Devlin’s marvellous set, one of the glories of the evening, is somehow diminished by being trapped behind the theatre’s proscenium. There is also one change of cast among the leading players and that too affects what we see. It remains, however. a wonderful tale, a fictionalised account of the canonisation of the England manager Gareth Southgate played by Joseph Fiennes with the help of psychiatrist Pippa Grange now played by Devla Kirwan. The awful comic intrusions by Theresa May, Liz Truss and Boris Johnson are still awful, but the account of how Southgate turned a collection of spoilt prima donnas into a team which almost won the world cup and somehow led the England supporters to realise that other countries, no matter how unjust it might seem, are just as good as, if not better at playing the beautiful game. The story told is familiar, but using lots of back projections and the splendid circle of light Devlin has created which hangs over the stage and on to which things get projected, Goold has created a production which, while everyone in the audience knows how it will end, still holds it enthralled – even football nonbelievers like me. This transfer should bring it to a brand-new audience – certainly the first night one seemed full of people who looked different from those who go to the South Bank and there were clearly a vast number who knew all about Southgate and his problems transforming the team into a team and not just a collection of players of repute. It may not have come home yet but the day may arrive. Whatever happens Southgate and his team are there for all to see, squabbling, bonding, suffering doubts, achieving and failing. Dear England makes great theatre and in the right theatre – because this home for the likes of Mary Poppins is the wrong theatre – would have been even greater. Southgate, miraculously created by Fiennes, dealing with that poisoned chalice, being the England manager, remains as gripping, if less spectacular, to watch as it was on the South Bank.

Cast

Denzel Baidoo - Bukaye Saka.

Josh Barrow – Jordan Pickford.

Gunnar Cauthery – Boris Johnson.

Will Chase – Harry Kane.

Crystal Condie – Theresa May.

Joseph Fiennes – Gareth Southgate.

Will Fletcher- Jordan Henderson.

Darragh Hand – Marcus Rashford.

John Hodgkinson – Greg Clarke.

Lloyd Hutchinson – Physio Phil.

Dervla Kirwan – Pippa Grange.

Albert Magashi – Jadon Sancho.

Kel Matsena – Raheem Sterling.

Lewis Shepherd – Dele Ali.

Griffin Stevens – Harry Maguire.

Paul Thornley –Mike Webster.

TONY Turner – Greg Dyke.

Ryan Whittle – Eric Dier.

Ensemble – Nick Barclay, Tashinga Bepete, Kate Kelly Flood, Will Harrison-Wallace, Miranda Heath, Tom Mahy, Tristan Waterson.

Creatives

Director- Rupert Goold.

Set Designer – Es Devlin.

Costume Designer – Evie Gurney.

Lighting Designer – Jon Clarke.

Video Designer – Ash J Woodward.

Dialect Coach – Richard Ryder.

Company Voice Work – Cathleen McCarron.