Punch
Will Harrison, center. (Photo: Matthew Murphy)
By Fern Siegel (Posted Sept. 30, 2025)
A single punch can irreparably alter lives.
That’s what happened in 2011, outside a bar in Northern England. The unprovoked attack resulted in the death of James, a 28-year-old paramedic, who fell and hit his head on the ground. He died nine days later.
His killer, Jacob Dunne, 19, spent 14 months in prison for manslaughter. The theatrical gut-Punch, an English import, reveals the lead-up and aftermath. It explores issues of class, violence and the provocative question of redemption. The drama is intense and — and will stay with audiences long after they leave the theater.
Jacob (a remarkable Will Harrison, who imbues his character with both fierceness and a muted vulnerability) lives on a housing estate in Nottingham. The area is rife with gang violence and the teen, diagnosed with ADHD, dyslexia and autism, lives by one code: backing his mates. When best friend Raf (Cody Kostro) calls to say he’s needed at a local pub, Jacob doesn’t question — and the consequences are devastating.
But what makes Punch, directed with sensitivity and fluid pacing by Adam Penford, is the compelling nature of James Graham’s script, based on Dunne’s memoir “Right From Wrong.” In addition, the intimate, visceral performances by Victoria Clark and Sam Robards, who play Joan and David, the heartsick parents enraged by the meager sentence, are unforgettable. (In a Guardian interview, Joan noted rioters in 2011 were given longer prison terms for stealing TVs than Jacob got for taking her son’s life.)
Punch doesn’t shy away from the horror — or the despair, though it does skew to Jacob’s perspective. What it introduces is a semi-healing story due to a unique program, known as restorative justice. First, there must be an agreement between both parties — the victim’s family and the guilty person. Second, accountability is key to moving forward. Then the facilitator steps in. When both are ready, the painful process of meeting begins.
Here, James’ parents’ journey, as well as Jacob’s, is delivered with raw feeling, inherently heightened by the searing nature of reality. Redemption, and for some, the possibility of forgiveness, may seem impossible. Jacob admits never asking for details before throwing the fatal blow. He’s dealing drugs, drinking and menacing. (The death was unintended; his culpability was never in question.)
But the outcome of this unusual interaction is astounding.
In Penford’s staging, a bare set with an arched steel bridge, a common piece of British architecture, allows the human suffering to take center stage. Each family wrestles with the dire consequences of Jacob’s actions — and how to prevent such senseless violence in future.
The true story is beautifully served by the cast, who often play multiple roles: Camila Canó-Flaviá as Clare/Nicola and Piter Markek asTony/Derek/DS Villers. Not only does the ensemble boast versatility, but Joan’s pain and David’s anger at the system, is palpable. Jacob’s mother (Lucy Taylor), a single mom desperate to raise her kids right, is also shattered by that fateful punch. Graham worked with the real-life Jacob, David and Joan, which helps ground the work.
Sound design by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, lighting by Robbie Butler and costumes by Anna Fleischle ably create the world of Nottingham with a stark immediacy.
Punch raises provocative questions about crime and punishment — and audiences are bound to have differing opinions on the case. What isn’t in doubt is that Graham and Penford have created a moving and riveting piece of theater.