(AGENPARL) – Tue 22 July 2025 CASTING NEWS:
DAVID STURZAKER WILL PLAY GARETH SOUTHGATE AND
STAGE AND SCREEN ACTRESS SAMANTHA WOMACK WILL PLAY
PIPPA GRANGE IN THE HIGHLY ANTICIPATED NATIONAL TOUR OF
JAMES GRAHAM’S OLIVIER AWARD-WINNING PLAY
DEAR ENGLAND
PERFORMANCES KICK-OFF
15 SEPTEMBER 2025 AT THE THEATRE ROYAL PLYMOUTH,
VISITING 16 VENUES ACROSS ENGLAND UNTIL MARCH 2026
The National Theatre today announces casting news for its highly anticipated national tour of
Dear England. Leading the cast in ‘the decade’s biggest theatrical triumph’ (★★★★ Daily
Telegraph) will be David Sturzaker as England manager Gareth Southgate, with East Enders
and Mount Pleasant actress Samantha Womack playing the role of team psychologist Pippa
Grange. Football and non-football fans alike will be brought to their feet for this inspiring, at
times heartbreaking, and ultimately uplifting story of Gareth Southgate’s revolutionary tenure as
England manager.
The Olivier Award-winning Best New Play, which broke box office records during its West End
run in 2023, will tour to 16 venues across England from 15 September 2025 until 14 March
2026 in a co-production with Josh Andrews and Stuart Galbraith for JAS Theatricals.
Dear England is written by the multi-award-winning stage and screen writer, James Graham
(Punch, West End; Sherwood, BBC One), directed by the Almeida Theatre’s Artistic Director
Rupert Goold (Patriots, Ink; Almeida Theatre/West End/Broadway) with set design by Es
Devlin (Beyonce’s Renaissance, World Tour; The Lehman Trilogy, National Theatre).
David Sturzaker is best known for playing Simon Bond in BBC One’s Doctors. Theatre credits
include Captain Stanhope in Journey’s End (West End), To Kill a Mockingbird (West End),
Charles II (The Globe/West End) and Torvald Helmer in A Doll’s House (Royal Exchange).
Other screen credits include Endeavour (ITV), Da Vinci’s Demons (STARZ) and Father Brown
(BBC One).
Samantha Womack is best known for playing Ronnie Mitchell in BBC One’s EastEnders. She
has also starred in Game On (BBC Two) and Mount Pleasant (Sky) on TV, represented the
United Kingdom at the Eurovision Song Contest and performed leading stage roles in the West
End and on tour. Theatre credits include Rachel in The Girl on the Train and The Lion, The
Witch and The Wardrobe (West End and UK Tours), 42nd Street and Morticia in The Addams
Family (UK tours); South Pacific (Barbican/UK tour) and Guys and Dolls (West End). Other
screen credits include Silent Witness (BBC One), The Marlow Murder Club (UKTV) and film,
Kingsman: The Secret Service (20th Century Studios).
Further casting to be announced.
It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a
painful pattern of loss. The England men’s 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.
Dear England is ‘gripping, moving and funny…as good as theatre gets’ (★★★★ The Sunday
Times). It will launch at Theatre Royal Plymouth (15 – 20 September), and then tour to
Nottingham Theatre Royal (23 – 27 September), The Marlowe, Canterbury (7 – 18 October),
Sheffield Lyceum (21 – 25 October), Leeds Grand Theatre (4 – 8 November), Theatre Royal
Newcastle (11 – 15 November), Chichester Festival Theatre (20 – 29 November), Mayflower
Theatre, Southampton (13 – 17 January), Milton Keynes Theatre (20 – 24 January), New
Theatre, Oxford (27 – 31 January), Norwich Theatre Royal (3 – 7 February), New Victoria
Theatre, Woking (10 – 14 February), The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford (17 – 21 February),
New Wimbledon Theatre (24 – 28 February), Liverpool Empire (3 – 7 March) and
Birmingham Hippodrome (10 – 14 March).
Actor David Sturzaker who will play the role of Gareth Southgate said:
“I’m thrilled to be taking on the role of Gareth Southgate. It’s a great responsibility and an
honour to be playing him. He’s been an inspiring figurehead for many, rebuilding a team, and
the country’s self-belief at what is possible, on and off, the football pitch. This is one of the
aspects of the play that resonates most for me – the ability of football, and sport in general, to
extend its reach beyond the game, to unite us and inspire us in our lives beyond the sport itself.
It’s also hugely exciting to be involved in a production that has already been such a hit in
London and Salford. I’m looking forward to taking Dear England on tour across the country,
giving many more people the opportunity to see this fantastic show.”
Actress, Samantha Womack, who will play the role of Pippa Grange said:
“I am so excited to be returning to the stage to perform in Dear England. It’s a wonderful piece
of theatre – entertaining and thought-provoking as well as incredibly staged. I am also
fascinated by Pippa Grange and her impact on England men’s team during her term as Head of
People and Team Development at the Football Association during Gareth Southgate’s tenure.
She fundamentally changed the culture and, in turn, the course of sporting history by teaching
the squad to embrace their fears and she’s an extremely inspiring role to take on. I can’t wait to
delve in and get back to touring around the country with this fantastic show.”
The wider creative team for Dear England 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 CDG, associate lighting designer Ben Jacobs, associate
video designer Libby Ward, associate sound designer Johnny Edwards, casting associate
Lilly Mackie and resident director Dan Hutton.
The National Theatre will run a year-long schools engagement programme inspired by Gareth
Southgate’s ‘Dear England’ open letter that he wrote to England fans in 2021. This programme,
which will prompt young people across the UK to reflect on their own place in history, just as the
footballers in Southgate’s squad were encouraged to do, is in response to this year being the
80th anniversary of the Second World War. It will be delivered in schools across England with
assemblies and workshops using spoken word and sound design to support students to share
the hopes and aspirations they have for themselves, and other young people, 80 years from
now. The resulting sound archive will form a unique 2025–2026 time capsule. Students will
also be invited to see performances of Dear England during the tour. This year-long schools
engagement programme is expected to reach over 10,000 young people.
Dear England was originally commissioned by the National Theatre and developed with the
theatre’s New Work department. Its world premiere was on 20 June 2023 in the Olivier theatre.
Following a sold-out run, Dear England transferred to the Prince Edward Theatre, in London’s
West End, from 9 October 2023 to 13 January 2024, where it broke box office records. Dear
England was subsequently released to cinemas through National Theatre Live on 24 January
2024 and has been screened almost 2,500 times across the UK. In February 2024, the BBC
announced it had commissioned a four-part drama of Dear England based on the stage
production for BBC One and BBC iPlayer and it won ‘Best New Play’ at the 2024 Olivier Awards
later that year. Dear England returned to the National Theatre in spring 2025, updated to
reflect the 2024 UEFA EURO tournament and Gareth Southgate’s final chapter as England
manager. The play had its regional premiere at the Lowry in Salford on 29 May followed by a 4week run.
This 2025/2026 national tour of Dear England is a co-production between National Theatre
Productions and JAS Theatricals. It has been supported by ‘Incentivising Touring: Repayable
Grants for Theatre and Dance’, a pilot scheme developed by Arts Council England to support
larger-scale productions to tour to regional venues. Dear England was amongst the first to
receive a share of over £2million as part of the first round of the scheme, which creates the
opportunity for more people to see high-quality shows close to where they live.
Assisted performances are available throughout the run at each venue. Check individual venue
websites for information and booking details.
Raymond James and Charles Stanley are proud to support the national tour of Dear England.
For further information, please contact Clare McCormack via
FURTHER PRESS MATERIALS
Images from previous productions by Marc Brenner are available here
Headshot images are available here & bios are available here
LISTINGS
Dates: Performances from 15 September 2025 – 14 March 2026 (full tour schedule below)
National Press Performance: Wednesday 24 September at 730pm at the Nottingham Theatre
Royal
Assisted Performances: Check individual venue websites for information and booking details
Age Recommendation: 10+
Social Platforms:
Follow on Instagram @dearenglandplay
X @dearenglandplay
Facebook Dear England Play
#DearEnglandOnStage
TOUR SCHEDULE FOR 2025-2026
Theatre Royal Plymouth
theatreroyal.com
15 – 20 September
Nottingham Theatre Royal
trch.co.uk
23 – 27 September
Marlowe Theatre Canterbury
marlowetheatre.com/
7 – 18 October
Sheffield Lyceum
sheffieldtheatres.co.uk/lyceum
Leeds Grand Theatre
leedsheritagetheatres.com
Newcastle Theatre Royal
theatreroyal.co.uk
Chichester Festival Theatre
cft.org.uk
21 – 25 October
4 – 8 November
11 – 15 November
20 – 29 November
Mayflower Theatre, Southampton
mayflower.org.uk
13 – 17 January 2026
Milton Keynes Theatre
atgtickets.com/milton-keynes-theatre
20 – 24 January
New Theatre Oxford
atgtickets.com/new-theatre-oxford
27 – 31 January
Norwich Theatre Royal
norwichtheatre.org
3 – 7 February
New Victoria Theatre, Woking
atgtickets.com/new-victoria-theatre
10 – 14 February
The Alhambra Theatre, Bradford
17 – 21 February
bradford-theatres.co.uk/alhambra-theatre
New Wimbledon Theatre
atgtickets.com/new-wimbledon-theatre
24 – 28 February
Liverpool Empire
atgtickets.com/liverpool-empire
3 – 7 March
Birmingham Hippodrome
birminghamhippodrome.com
10 – 14 March
With Thanks
The commissioning of this work was supported by the Sir Peter Shaffer Charitable Foundation.
The original production at the National Theatre was generously supported by the Dear England
Team of Production Champions.
About the National Theatre
The National Theatre makes theatre that entertains and inspires using its creativity, expertise
and unique reach. The National Theatre shares unforgettable stories with millions of audience
members across the UK and around the world – on its own stages, on tour, in schools, on
cinema screens and streaming at home.
World-leading artists make their best work at the National Theatre with the widest possible
audience and impact. The National Theatre invests in talent and innovation on stage and off,
taking seriously its role as the nation’s theatre. Of the new productions developed each year
with a wide range of theatre companies, a third of that research and development resource is
dedicated to shows staged at theatres outside London.
Through touring our work to local theatres and schools and nationwide education and
community programmes, we are active in every local authority in the UK. A registered charity
with a deeply embedded social purpose, the National Theatre works with hundreds of schools
and communities across the UK to fire imagination and inspire creativity, and to develop skills
and pathways for careers in theatre.
For more information, please visit nationaltheatre.org.uk.
@NationalTheatre
@NT_PressOffice
About JAS Theatricals
Jas Theatricals was established by Joshua Andrews and Stuart Galbraith to produce and
general manage shows. Previous work as producers or co-producers includes 9 to 5 at the
Savoy; Muriel’s Wedding in Australia; On Your Feet at London Coliseum; Noises Off at the
Garrick; Frankie and Johnny, Grey House and Hadestown on Broadway; Life of Pi at
Wyndham’s; UK tours of Agatha Christie’s The Mirror Crack’d, Cluedo and Cluedo 2 and Pretty
Woman West End, US and UK Tour. Current projects include Hadestown in the West End and
Birdsong on UK Tour. Stuart Galbraith is the CEO of KMJ Entertainment Group, whose group
of companies produce and promote music concerts, festivals, theatre, comedy and spoken
word. Joshua Andrews has produced A Streetcar Named Desire, starring Gillian Anderson, with
the Young Vic; An American in Paris at the Dominion; and Kay Mellor’s Fat Friends – The
Musical. Other stage adaptations include the franchise of seven stage plays of Peter James’
GRACE novels, The Girl on the Train and two stage plays based on other Kay Mellor hit TV
series, Band of Gold and The Syndicate, which toured in 2024. Danni Powell, former Vice
President of Production and General Manager at The Really Useful Group, has recently joined
JAS as Head of Business Development and General Management.
About Arts Council England
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. Our vision,
set out in our strategy Let’s Create, is that by 2030, we want England to be a country in which
the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish, and where every one of
us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. Between 2023 and
2026 we will have invested over £467 million of public money from Government, alongside an
estimated £250 million each year from The National Lottery, to help ensure that people in every
part of the country have access to culture and creativity in the places where they live. More
information on Incentivising Touring: Repayable Grants for Theatre and Dance can be found
here.