One impulse—how irreversibly can it shatter lives? Olivier-winning playwright James Graham (Dear England, BBC’s Sherwood) storms the stage with his acclaimed new drama Punch, turning Jacob Dunne’s astonishing true story into a gut-punch of theatre. Directed by Adam Penford with electric pace and soul-deep tenderness, the production drills into the raw weight of personal accountability.
A Saturday night in Nottingham. Thrill-hungry Jacob lands one reckless punch—and a stranger dies. Prison spits him out lost, directionless. Then the victim’s parents, Joan and David, ask to meet him. That single encounter detonates a life-altering chain reaction.
Punch refuses easy answers on crime, punishment, and forgiveness. A pitch-perfect cast—Alec Boaden (Masters of the Air), Julie Hesmondhalgh (Mr Bates vs the Post Office), Shalisha James-Davis (I May Destroy You)—carries every ounce of the story’s gravity.
WhatsOnStage crowned it “the play everyone needs to see.” Catch it for a strictly limited run at the Apollo Theatre, West End. Contains strong language, violence, death, and substance references—12+.
Beyond guilt and sentencing, this is a fierce, vital mirror to humanity’s capacity to forgive and begin again.
Show Snapshot
Playwright: James Graham (adapted from Jacob Dunne’s memoir Right From Wrong)
Director: Adam Penford
Venue: Apollo Theatre, West End, London
Dates: Now – 29 November 2025
Running time: 2h 25m (incl. 20-min interval)
Age guidance: 12+
Note: Expect a play that demands your full emotional investment—and rewards it.
