Dear England has kicked off it's limited run in the Festival Theatre. The show, which dramatizes Gareth Southgate's culture-shifting time as England's manager, is a 'truly brilliant' (Chichester Observer) exploration of how the country came together to celebrate the beautiful game. Read on to discover what local critics thought of it's opening night at CFT.

While the show certainly speaks to devoted fans of the sport, it appeals to football-sceptic theatre-lovers too. Portsmouth News writes, 'I was sceptical before the lights went down – could this really make me connect with football in a way my family tried and failed to do? But the reality is it’s about so much more than just our national sport. It’s about who we are as a nation.'

Described as 'a triumph of controlled chaos' (West End Best Friend), this high-energy show pulls back the curtain on what happened when psychologist Pippa Grange stepped in to help the team make sense of the turmoil beneath the surface.

Dear England leaves us with an important takeaway, 'reminding us that the greatest victory is not necessarily the trophy, but the courage to try and the dignity to lose' (West End Best Friend).

Dear England plays in the Festival Theatre until Sat 29 Nov. Book the last remaining tickets now.