It’s time to change the game. The country that gave the world football has since delivered a painful pattern of loss. Why can’t the England team win at their own game?

With the worst track record for penalties in the world, 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 a fictionalised account of the struggles and successes of England’s football teams, based on extensive research and interviews. The stage play premiered at the National Theatre to five-star reviews and a sell-out run in 2023, before transferring to London’s West End.  

Left Bank Pictures is adapting the smash hit stage play into a four-part drama for BBC One. Written by James Graham and directed by Rupert Goold (who directed Dear England on stage), it will star Joseph Fiennes who will be reprising his role as Gareth Southgate.