How to tell England’s story: James Graham, playwright

2/6/202643 min

James Graham joined Nick in the political thinking studio in late January, ahead of a this year's TV adaptation of his play Dear England.

What did Gareth Southgate get right about national identity?

What advice does the playwright have for Keir Starmer on storytelling?

And why is it important that people continue to go to the theatre?

Senior Producer: Daniel Kraemer Producer: Flora Murray Sound: Ged Sudlow and Hal Haines Editor: Giles Edwards

Clips

First 90 seconds

Speaker 10:00
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Nick Robinson· Host0:33
[soft music] Hello, welcome to Political Thinking. What is England? What are its values? What does it stand for? Is it a good old-fashioned cuppa, a bacon sarnie, the memory of Spitfires, a game of cricket, the King? Or is it Charli XCX, chicken tikka, Bukayo Saka? What does the flag of St George represent? My guest on Political Thinking this week wrestled with those questions in his hit play, Dear England, inspired by the England football manager Gareth Southgate's letter to his fellow countrymen. A TV version will hit our screens this summer, just before the World Cup. James Graham has a claim to be our national writer, having written plays and TV dramas which explore the deep divides caused by things like the miners' strike and the Brexit referendum, as well as charting huge moments in the country's life: the collapse of the Labour government at the end of the '70s, the beginning