The BBC has confirmed the full cast for Dear England, a four-part drama based on James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning play about Gareth Southgate and the England men’s football team. Dr. Who star Jodie Whittaker, The Crown alum Jason Watkins, and British actor Daniel Ryan (The Bay) are new additions to the ensemble cast.
Shakespeare in Love and The Handmaid’s Tale actor Joseph Fiennes will reprise his stage role as Gareth Southgate, the England manager who took over a team with a historically poor record in penalty shootouts. Whittaker will play team psychologist Pippa Grange. Watkins will portray former Football Association chairman Greg Dyke. Ryan plays former assistant manager Steve Holland.
Several cast members from the play will reprise their roles for TV, including John Hodgkinson, returning as former FA chairman Greg Clarke, Adam Hugill playing Harry Maguire, Josh Barrow as Jordan Pickford, and Lewis Shepherd as Dele Alli.
Other cast members include Will Antenbring as Harry Kane, Edem-Ita Duke as Marcus Rashford, Francis Lovehall as Raheem Sterling, Abdul Sessay as Bukayo Saka, and Jacob Greenway as Jude Bellingham.
Billed as a fictional account of real events, based on extensive research and interviews, Dear England debuted at the National Theatre in 2023 to critical acclaim, winning the Olivier Award for best new play.
James Graham serves as writer and executive producer on the series. Rupert Goold, who directed the stage version, will direct the first episode, with Paul Whittington directing episodes two through four. Tina Pawlik is producing. Executive producers include Graham and Goold, Andy Harries and Rebecca Hodgson for Left Bank Pictures, and Jo McClellan and Sami El-Hadi for the BBC.
Produced by Left Bank Pictures, filming is now underway in the South of England. The series will premiere on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2026. Sony Pictures Television will handle international distribution.
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