Gamba Cole is hitting the back of the net in 'Dear England'

The Outlaws star is now scoring another hit in James Graham's football drama Dear England at the National Theatre.

Gamba Cole found fame in Stephen Merchant’s comedy series The Outlaws and has since racked up an impressive list of screen credits, acting alongside the likes of Michael Keaton and Idris Elba.

He’s now playing Raheem Sterling in James Graham’s Olivier Award-winning drama about the evolution of the England football team. He says the role is “brutal and tiring, but at the same time it’s thrilling and rewarding – it enhances your passion for football”.

Gamba talks to London Theatre Magazine about playing one of his own personal heroes and the random meeting that catapulted his career.

How did you get into theatre?
Clint Dyer [Deputy Artistic Director at the National Theatre] spotted me at a rehearsal reading and asked me to audition for a play he was directing. I auditioned, got recalled and auditioned again. Then literally half an hour after the recall, Clint called to say I had the role. And not only that, he’d spoken to an agency who wanted to sign me. It was literally a change of everything in a split second.

I was working as a security guard, doing 12-hour shifts, and had been trying to break into the industry for years since coming out of college. So, I owe everything to Clint.

You’re playing Raheem Sterling in Dear England – is it harder playing a living person who you know could potentially see you in the play?
Definitely. And for me, because he’s a player I actually like watching – I’m an Arsenal supporter – you want to honour that as well. He’s had a great career and was pivotal in the England side during the period covered in the play.

Dear England isn’t just about football – it’s a “state of the nation” play too isn’t it?
Exactly – I remember what it felt like in the country when these events were happening and we’re trying to give that feeling to the audience. It’s about the psychology that Gareth Southgate brings – he tried to change the philosophy of the players and club as a whole, and really started to create that bond between the players.

The Outlaws was a huge success – could you tell it was going to be a hit when you signed up?
No, no way! It was really hard because you’ve got to remember that we only got 10 days into filming before we had to shut down because of Covid. You never really know how people are going to receive something, but the response was like nothing I could have imagined.

Which role would you never get cast in but love to play?
I’d say a musical theatre role. I have so much respect for musical theatre actors – to be able to portray a story and emote through song, as well as acting and moving, is astonishing.

Book Dear England tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

This article first appeared in the May 2025 issue of London Theatre Magazine.

Photo credit: Gamba Cole. (Photo by Ali Painter)