The dramatic potential of sport is gigantic and the gorgeous recreation particularly gives drama, comedy and even tragedy in spades.

Riffing across the choice of Gareth Southgate (Joseph Fiennes) as supervisor of the dispirited England crew as they head in direction of the World Cup in 2018, Graham extracts one of the best components of Southgate’s unconventional strategy.

Defiantly non-macho, (“A soft lad in a hard world”) he introduced a brand new philosophy to the gamers that acted as a prism for the adjustments in society overtaking gnarlier attitudes.

Rupert Goold directs the squad with readability and invention on Es Devlin’s easy round set that appears like an enormous halo sandwich with a set of upright containers that double as doorways and lockers.

The relaxation is all the way down to the actors enjoying Marcus Rashford (Darragh Hand), Harry Kane (Will Close) and Gary LIneker (Gunnar Cauthery), amongst others.

As the therapist introduced in to allow Southgate’s mission, Gina McKee is fantastically stoical.

Sound results and lighting ship the phantasm of targets scored and penalties missed, of the nationwide euphoria and disappointment of a recreation that may deliver grown males to their knees and youngsters to their toes.

With his El Greco face and softly, softly strategy, Fiennes brings a quiet credibility to Southgate as a person with a social conscience and elevated goal - “We are all storytellers now.” Good recreation.

Dear England,  National Theatre till August 11, Tickets: 020 7452 3961