The National Theatre has announced that Gwilym Lee (SAS Rogue Heroes, Bohemian Rhapsody) will play former England manager Gareth Southgate in the London return of James Graham’s award-winning play Dear England.
The role was previously played by Joseph Fiennes. Read more about Gwilym Lee here.
Dear England is returning to the Olivier Theatre of the National Theatre from 10 March to 24 May 2025.
There will also be a four-week run at the Lowry theatre in Salford, from 29 May to 29 June 2025.
Dear England is written by playwright James Graham (Punch, Sherwood) and directed by the outgoing artistic director of the Almeida and incoming artistic director of The Old Vic, Rupert Goold (Patriots, Ink).
The Olivier Award-winning Best Play is an epic examination of nation and game, which has been updated following the 2024 UEFA EURO tournament to reflect Gareth Southgate’s final chapter as England manager.
London theatre will be a Bohemian Rhapsody reunion next year. Gwilym Lee is best known for playing legendary Queen guitarist Brian May in the award-winning Bohemian Rhapsody, opposite Rami Malek. Malek will also be starring in a play next year in London, performing in Oedipus at The Old Vic alongside Indira Varma.
Gwilym Lee is also known for playing Grigor Dymov in hit Hulu show The Great, and can currently be seen in Robert Zemeckis’ latest feature Here with Tom Hanks and Robin Wright, and joins the second season of BBC One’s SAS: Rogue Heroes which broadcasts from 1 January 2025.
Dear England marks Lee’s return to the National Theatre after previous productions including Danton’s Death in 2010, and Oedipus in 2008.
Further casting for Dear England is to be announced.
The wider creative team for Dear England includes set designer Es Devlin, 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, additional music by Max Perryment, revival director Elin Schofield, casting director Bryony Jarvis-Taylor, dialect coach Richard Ryder, voice coaches Cathleen McCarron and Tasmin Newlands, associate lighting designer Ben Jacobs, associate sound designer Johnny Edwards and staff director Connie Treves.
Gwilym Lee said in a statement: “I am thrilled to return to the stage after seven years (and to the National Theatre after nearly twice that) to play Gareth Southgate in Rupert Goold’s brilliant production. I can’t say I grew up with football in my bones, like some, but even I was swept up on the wave of excitement and optimism that this group of players under Gareth Southgate created again and again. They struck a chord that resonated beyond the world of football and started a conversation about things like identity, leadership and Englishness that James Graham so passionately encapsulates in this play. I can’t wait to take on the role and continue this conversation.”
Dear England is playing the Olivier Theatre from 10 March to 24 May 2025.
Also playing next year, is James Graham’s new drama Punch, which is transferring to London’s Young Vic theatre in March 2025.
Book tickets to Dear England at the National Theatre London
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