Dear England
[11] The play's many comical caricatures include former England managers Sven-Göran Eriksson, Graham Taylor, and Fabio Capello; former players and commentators Gary Lineker and Matt Le Tissier; and British prime ministers Theresa May, Boris Johnson, and Liz Truss.He told the Guardian, “I’ll be changing the play depending on what happens, and I don’t quite know what that will look like.” [15] The premiere of Dear England received positive reviews overall,[10] with the BBC News saying that the show had "hit the back of the net" according to theatre critics,[2] and The Observer noting that "there were a couple of five-star raves and lots of football-ese puns"."[8] The set design by Es Devlin, featuring oval rings of light on an expansive stage, was described by Akbar as "incredible...simply yet excellently signifying a stadium",[5] while Nick Curtis of the Evening Standard said that it "powerfully expresses the isolation and exposure of the football pitch.[22] Calling Fiennes's performance "magnificent", Jason Cowley observed in The New Statesman that, "Not only does he closely resemble the bearded, waistcoat-clad England manager, he expertly captures the flatness of his accent, the awkwardness of his Everyman persona, the twitches and rapid blinking, as well as the thoughtfulness and decency.[18] Meanwhile, Steve Dinneen wrote in City A.M. that "Will Close is also excellent as Harry Kane, his impression of a man apparently devoid of personality initially bordering on the cruel but turning full circle as the player's heart and mettle are shown.