TV Pick of the Week: Dear England - review by Yvette Huddleston
Dear England BBC iPlayer, review by Yvette Huddleston
James Graham’s television adaptation of his own hit play about Gareth Southgate’s transformative tenure as manager of the England men’s football team makes a seamless transition from stage to screen.
A talented playwright and screenwriter Graham knows exactly what works well in each medium and for this four-part TV version brings to the fore and expands elements of the story that necessarily were explored in less detail for its theatrical interpretation. Joseph Fiennes once again takes on the lead role that received deserved acclaim in the National Theatre run channelling Southgate’s mannerisms, vocal delivery and humility to perfection.
In the opening episode Southgate is appointed as caretaker manager after the departure of previous incumbent Sam Allerdyce (Andrew Dunn). From the outset Southgate is open about the fact that he is going to be trying a radical new approach, something that doesn’t go down particularly well with FA execs Greg Clarke (John Hodgkinson) and Greg Dyke (Jason Watkins), but since their options are limited, they go along with his plans. One of Southgate's first moves is to bring in psychologist Pippa Grange (Jodie Whittaker) to help him change the mindset of the players and to enable them to speak openly about their fears and anxieties. Grange is also keen to help Southgate face his own demons – he famously missed a penalty in the 1996 Euros’ semi-finals shootout against Germany which cost England the match.
The ensemble of young actors portraying the team, including Harry Maguire (Adam Hugill), captain Harry Kane (Will Antenbring), Raheem Sterling (Francis Lovehall) Marcus Rashford (Edem-Ita Duke), Jadon Sancho (Riess Fennell) and Ollie Watkins (Daniel Quincy Annoh), Eric Dier (Hamish Frew) and Jordan Henderson (David Shields), all give engaging performances that capture the essence of their real-life counterparts. The footballing action sequences skilfully incorporate archive footage and the tension and drama inherent in football are brilliantly conveyed. While celebrating the high points, Graham’s script doesn’t sidestep the lows including the appalling racism from some fans directed at the black players in the wake of another penalty shoot-out loss.
The central performance from Fiennes is assured and believable, paying tribute to the Southgate’s essential humanity, good-heartedness, empathetic approach and quietly radical leadership style. Like the play, the series is about much more than just football, posing some timely questions about national identity and what kind of nation England is, or wants to be.