I am not a soccer fan, however I’m a James Graham fan, so I needed to see his new play Expensive England on the Nationwide Theatre, based mostly on Gareth Southgate’s administration of the England group.

It begins with Southgate (Joseph Fiennes) being provided the job and bringing in psychologist Pippa Grange (Gina McKee) to assist discover out what’s lacking from the group’s efficiency.

Naturally, a coaching program that includes speaking about emotions, in addition to abilities and techniques, will get pushback from the group and the coaches.

The primary half of the play focuses on that dive into the psychological blocks and making an attempt to win the gamers over to the completely different strategy as they put together for the primary World Cup beneath Southgate’s administration.

There’s a specific give attention to penalty shootouts which have lengthy been the England group’s Achilles heel.

As soon as the story reaches the World Cup, the video games are recreated with simply the England group, their motion ‘on the pitch’ and the sound results of the ball being kicked and the gang. It’s evocative. 

And having highlighted the behind-the-scenes drama of the penalty shootouts, the strain is efficiently recreated regardless of understanding the general final result.

In key moments actual clips from video games are performed as a backdrop to what’s occurring on stage.

The second half focuses extra on subsequent tournaments as much as the World Cup in Qatar. It does lose a little bit of the strain for this non-football fan because the video games appear to blur into one, however there are nonetheless sufficient moments to seize the drama.

The passing of time is marked as Conservative Prime Ministers come and go, a dig on the longevity of political management vs that of England’s captain. All of them go away by the viewers, as do any characters for whom their half within the story is over.

Exterior occasions reminiscent of COVID, Black Lives Matter and LGBTQ rights are referenced in how they affect selections and pondering. And in a single scene with the captain of the ladies’s England soccer group was a very good contact and garnered cheers and spontaneous applause.

Fiennes disappears into Southgate with that acquainted posture and voice.

And I feel I’ve heard extra parodies of Harry Kane’s voice than the true factor however Will Shut (who I final noticed in his one-person present Mediocre White Male on the King’s Head) was on level. He bought a superb few of the laughs too.

And that’s the factor about Expensive England; the psychology of the sport and group mindset is a very attention-grabbing base. In the event you strip away the soccer, this can be a play about masculinity, psychological well being and the poisonous stereotypes that in the end hinder efficiency. 

The sport itself provides a layer of drama.

James Graham’s play evoked laughter, cheers and, sure, spontaneous applause. This non-football fan included. I am giving it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half.

Expensive England, Nationwide Theatre

Written by James Graham

Directed by Rupert Goold

Starring Joseph Fiennes and Gina McKee

Operating time: 2 hours and 50 minutes, together with an interval

Reserving till 11 August, go to the Nationwide Theatre for extra particulars and ticket info

Not too long ago reviewed:

The Crucible, Gielgud Theatre reserving till 1 September

Paper Lower, Park Theatre, ⭐️⭐️⭐️ and a half, reserving till 1 July

The Motive and the Cue, Nationwide Theatre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reserving till 16 July

A Little Life, Harold Pinter Theatre ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ reserving till 16 June, it then transfers to the Savoy Theatre for five weeks.