The BBC has unveiled the complete forged for its six-part drama Expensive England, tailored from James Graham’s hit Nationwide Theatre play about Gareth Southgate and his marketing campaign to turnaround the fortunes of the England males’s soccer group.
Jodie Whittaker (Physician Who, Poisonous City) joins the forged as Pippa Grange, the England males’s group psychologist, whereas Jason Watkins (The Recreation, The Crown) is former FA chairman Greg Dyke and John Hodgkinson (Small Axe, Life After Life) reprises his stage function as former FA chairman Greg Clarke.
Daniel Ryan (The Bay, The Hack) is Steve Holland, former assistant supervisor for the England males’s group. Sam Spruell (The Gold, Fargo) may even star as fictional coach, Mike Webster.
The manufacturing has additionally unveiled the forged for the soccer gamers.
Adam Hugill (Sherwood), Josh Barrow (Hostage) and display screen newcomer Lewis Shepherd reprise their respective stage roles as Harry Maguire, Jordan Pickford and Dele Alli.
New arrivals embody Will Antenbring (Mr Loverman) as Harry Kane; Edem-Ita Duke (Mr Loverman) as Marcus Rashford; Francis Lovehall (A Thousand Blows) as Raheem Sterling; Abdul Sessay (Piglets) as Bukayo Saka; Jacob Greenway (The Dream Lands) as Jude Bellingham; David Shields (Masters of the Air) as Jordan Henderson; Hamish Frew (Era Z) as Eric Dier; Alfie Middlemiss (Waterloo Highway) as Phil Foden; Riess Fennell (The Soccer Fantastics) as Jadon Sancho; Daniel Quincy Annoh (The Recruit) is Ollie Watkins; Bobby Schofield (Unforgivable) as Wayne Rooney and newcomers Dom Rayner and Alexander Parsons are Cole Palmer and Jesse Lingard respectively.
Produced by Left Financial institution Footage (This Metropolis is Ours, The Crown) filming has begun within the South of England, and the sequence will air on BBC iPlayer and BBC One in 2026.
As beforehand introduced, Joseph Fiennes (The Handmaid’s Story, Shakespeare in Love) will reprise his Olivier award nominated function as Gareth Southgate.
Graham’s hit play charts how Southgate takes over the England group when it’s at a low ebb and units out to reverse its unenviable document of being the worst group for penalties on this planet.
Southgate is aware of he must open his thoughts and withstand the years of damage to take England again to reverse a state of affairs during which the nation that gave the world soccer has delivered a painful sample of loss.
The stage play premiered on the Nationwide Theatre to five-star opinions, successful an Olivier award for ‘Finest New Play’ and a sell-out run in 2023. It returned to the Nationwide Theatre earlier this 12 months earlier than embarking on a nationwide tour.
“Bringing the nationwide sport to the Nationwide Theatre over two years in the past was some of the rewarding moments of my writing life,” mentioned author and govt producer Graham.
“Getting to inform this inspiring story of Gareth’s quiet revolution, and its themes of redemption, resilience, kindness and compassion in sport. To kick off its journey on display screen now, and on our nationwide broadcaster, is a big alternative and I’m so grateful to world class forged and inventive group we’ve assembled.”
Andy Harries, CEO of Left Financial institution Footage, added: “This can be a premier league artistic group and alongside the sensible authentic group of James Graham, Rupert Goold and Joseph Fiennes we’re over the moon to be reunited with Paul Whittington – who directed with such aptitude on The Crown. Jodie is pitch excellent as psychologist Pippa Grange and we’re joined by a group of thrilling actors becoming a member of the England squad. We’re prepared for kick off!”
Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama, says: “We’re so thrilled to announce such a unbelievable forged for Expensive England and it has been a pleasure to witness the comradery inside this prime group as they begin filming. With Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker main the forged, Rupert Goold and Paul Whittington directing and Left Financial institution Footage producing, BBC viewers are in for an actual deal with.”
Expensive England (4×60) was commissioned by Lindsay Salt, Director of BBC Drama. James Graham will write the sequence, with Rupert Goold (Judy, King Charles III, The Hole Crown), who directed Expensive England on stage directing episode one. Paul Whittington (This City, The Crown, White Home Farm)will direct episodes two to 4. Tina Pawlik (Ted Lasso, Prime Boy) is the producer. Government producers are James Graham and Rupert Goold, Andy Harries and Rebecca Hodgson for Left Financial institution Footage, and Jo McClellan and Sami El-Hadi for the BBC. Sony Footage Tv will distribute Expensive England internationally.
We’re so thrilled to announce such a unbelievable forged for Expensive England and it has been a pleasure to witness the comraderie inside this prime group as they begin filming. With Joseph Fiennes and Jodie Whittaker main the forged, Rupert Goold and Paul Whittington directing and Left Financial institution Footage producing, BBC viewers are in for an actual deal with,” mentioned Salt.
