With the National Theatre’s Olivier Award-winning smash hit Dear England touring to Oxford Theatre, the Drama Department seized the opportunity to take Fifth Form and Upper Sixth pupils to experience this acclaimed production live on stage.
Here, Isla S and Annie H (LV) review the show:
We’d heard of the name Gareth Southgate before but never knew his full story. The play, Dear England, shows England’s collective hope throughout football matches and England’s chaotic and exhilarating journey through football.
Initially, we were sceptical. How could we watch the enactment of football matches on a relatively small stage? The effect of the dramatized movement and ensemble shocked us. The choreography was executed so well, we really thought we were there, in the large football stadium.
It was a brilliant performance with lots of great acting and audience participation. The actors were very good, especially main characters Pippa and Gareth Southgate. They brought comedy to the piece but also were very emotive. The characters easily made us understand the difficulties and pressure in sports. The atmosphere was built up and tension was created through the use of the large projection screen. It was very interesting to watch with lots of exciting moments such as the penalty shootouts.
There was also lots of singing, dancing and music as we cheered the team on the stage.
It was one of the best plays we’ve seen so far. Overall, it was a very fun and memorable experience: we laughed, we gasped and we really enjoyed it.
Isla S and Annie H, LV
