Dear England At Milton Keynes Theatre Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Amanda Dando

Milton Keynes Theatre in Central Milton Keynes is a great venue for a variety of entertainment, be it live music, plays or musical theatre you won’t be disappointed with the venue in any way. It has a variety of bars and boasts its own restaurant for your pre meal food. The venue staff are always incredibly helpful and always happy to help with any queries or questions.

Dear England has been on our wish list for some time, as avid football fans we were interested to see this show and find out what all the fuss is about.

We were so not disappointed. This show is a must see for all those even with a passing interest in football, and not just football, but all competitive sport. What an incredible insight into not just the managing of the national team, but to the footballers themselves.

It is often called the impossible job, and having watched this play, which gives just a small window into the world of the manager, Gareth Southgate and the players he managed what a whirlwind of emotions we have walked away feeling.

It is never ‘just a game’ to many of us and we all wear our hearts on our sleeves, but the tenacity, resilience and self belief it takes to not just pull on an England shirt but to play 90 minutes for your country takes incredible strength of mind. Especially in the times we live in, we the general public feel we have the right to question every team selection, every substitution, knocking the credibility of players and management sometimes brutally online in this world of social media.

David Sturzaker is outstanding as Gareth Southgate, surrounded by a standout cast which included Samantha Womack and Ian Bartholomew. We were mesmerised by the football players who we all think we know. The showing of emotion around self doubt, racism, personal upbringing gave an incredible insight to their backgrounds.

The set looks sparse but is bought to life wonderfully with football graphics in the most effective way. The first half sped by and was fascinating at times, but for me the second half was just brilliant. Filled with football anthem medleys, highs and lows of various tournaments, live football footage playing in the background at times, and nearly everyone wearing their hearts on their sleeves.

It was a roller coaster of emotions and the ending with everyone singing sweet Caroline was the icing on the cake.

Dear England Supporters, we can do better! What would I say to Gareth and the England team?
Dear Gareth, thank you Sir. It was a privilege to watch this fascinating journey, go grab your tickets now before it moves onto the next venue in this UK tour. What a brilliant night of entertainment, inspiring, emotional, on stage entertainment at its very best.

Rating: 5/5
Dear England is at Milton Keynes Theatre from Tuesday 20 January to Saturday 24 January 2026
Tickets are available from £15 subject to a transaction fee of £3.95 available to buy from www.atgtickets.com or call the Box Office 0800 912 6971
Milton Keynes Theatre 500 Marlborough Gate Central Milton Keynes MK93NZ

https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/dear-england/milton-keynes-theatre/?