Dear England UK tour – rehearsal photos released

Rehearsal photos have been released for the Olivier Award-winning play Dear England, which will kick off a new tour this autumn.

James Graham’s piece, about Gareth Southgate’s multi-year vision for the England men’s football team, first premiered at the National Theatre in the summer of 2023 before transferring to the West End. It then returned to the National, before a four-week season at the Lowry in Salford. A TV adaptation is also in the works.

Set to star in the new tour are David Sturzaker in the role of Southgate, while Samantha Womack will play team psychologist Pippa Grange.

The cast also includes returning performers Jass Beki as Bukayo Saka, Courtney George as Alex Scott, Miles Henderson as ensemble, and Tom Lane as Eric Dier.

New cast members joining the team are Jake Ashton-Nelson as Jordan Henderson, Luke Azille as Jadon Sancho, Ian Bartholomew as Greg Dyke, Ashley Byam as Raheem Sterling, Steven Dykes as Sam Allardyce, Oscar Gough as Harry Kane, Jayden Hanley as Marcus Rashford, Connor Hawker as Harry Maguire, Ian Kirkby as Gary Lineker, Jack Maddison as Jordan Pickford, Liam Prince-Donnelly as Dele Alli, and George Rainsford as Mike Webster.

The company is completed by Stuart Ash, Natalie Boakye, Ebube Chukwuma, Sam Craig, and Alex Wadham. The cast will also be playing additional roles as part of the ensemble.

The new tour will have its first fixture at Plymouth Theatre Royal on 15 September, before heading to Nottingham Theatre Royal (23 to 27 September), Marlowe, Canterbury (7 to 18 October), Sheffield Lyceum (21 to 25 October), Leeds Grand Theatre (4 to 8 November), Theatre Royal Newcastle (11 to 15 November), Chichester Festival Theatre (20 to 29 November) and in 2026, Mayflower Theatre, Southampton (13 to 17 January), Milton Keynes Theatre (20 to 24 January), New Theatre, Oxford (27 to 31 January), Norwich Theatre Royal (3 to 7 February), New Victoria Theatre, Woking (10 to 14 February), Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (17 to 21 February), New Wimbledon Theatre (24 to 28 February), Liverpool Empire (3 to 7 March) and Birmingham Hippodrome (10 to 14 March). Assisted performances are available throughout the run at each venue. This story continues below. 

Directed by Rupert Goold, the show’s creative team includes costume designer Evie Gurney, lighting designer Jon Clark, co-movement directors Ellen Kane and Hannes Langolf, video designer Ash J Woodward, co-sound designers Dan Balfour and Tom Gibbons with additional music by Max Perryment.

They are joined by tour revival director Connie Treves, revival movement director Tom Herron, casting director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, associate lighting designer Ben Jacobs, associate video designer Libby Ward, associate sound designer Johnny Edwards, casting associate Lilly Mackie and resident director Dan Hutton.

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