Joseph Fiennes has opened up about the 'nerve-wracking' experience of portraying Gareth Southgate in the upcoming BBC drama Dear England. The four-part series, created and written by James Graham, chronicles Southgate's journey as England manager from 2016 to 2024. It features Jodie Whittaker as psychologist Pippa Grange and Jason Watkins as former FA chairman Greg Dyke, adapting Graham's Olivier Award-winning stage play.
From Stage to Screen: A New Challenge
Despite having played Southgate on stage, Fiennes admitted the transition to television brought unique pressures. 'The play is fictitious,' he explained. 'There's a disclaimer that says these are events that happen, but this is an interpretation. There is a nervousness about taking what we did in the play and putting it on a lens. In theatre, if you squint, I could very possibly be Gareth Southgate. But it's different when the lens is right in front of me. So I was very, very nervous about the conceit of playing Gareth.'
Beyond Football: Deeper Conversations
Fiennes hopes audiences will look beyond surface-level mimicry. 'You want them to accept it and then move to more exciting things beyond waistcoats, mannerisms, and famous people. Dear England goes beyond football. Through the lens of the beautiful game, we examine trickier conversations.'
Directed by Rupert Goold and Paul Whittington, the series sees Southgate confronting 'years of hurt to take England back to the promised land.' Central to this is Pippa Grange, whose role fascinated Jodie Whittaker. 'The biggest takeaway is how fear is seen as something you must pretend to be immune to,' she said. 'In James's writing, it's beautiful. Fear should not be a vulnerability. It's so simple that you can't believe you don't know it until you're told.'
Creator's Vision: Existential Questions
James Graham, also known for Sherwood and Quiz, emphasized the series tackles 'some of the biggest existential questions England faces.' He noted, 'This isn't endorsed by Gareth or the FA. But I want to defend him. My admiration for the people involved is clear. They identified that one of the hugest problems in the England dressing room was that no one had ever asked, “What is England to you?” They didn't feel connected.'
The first two episodes air Sunday, May 24, on BBC One and iPlayer at 9pm, exploring the psychological rebuilding of the England team and their triumph over penalty-shootout trauma.
