Last year, Spain beat England 2-1 at the Euros. For many, this was just another chapter in England’s bad streak in a sport it once dominated. But for the playwright James Graham, the defeat meant a return to the drawing board. When Dear England premiered in 2023, it told the story of a disheartened national team overcoming a cycle of crushing defeats. Naturally, the play culminated in victory. But the 2024 tournament told a different story. Now, Graham’s award-winning play has been revived with new characters and a significantly rewritten second half. At its center is the team’s manager, Sir Gareth Southgate, tasked with restoring not just the team’s skill but its spirit. Ruper Goold returns to direct. —Jeanne Malle

Followed by a four-week run in Salford, Dear England will begin a national tour in the fall