Punch Tickets

A Devastating Drama: Book Tickets for Punch

James Graham’s heart wrenching drama Punch transfers to the West End's Apollo Theatre for a strictly limited season this September, following sell-out runs in Nottingham and at the Young Vic. When a teenager delivers a fateful blow on a night out, his life changes forever in this “propulsive and at times poetic” (The Guardian) play. Punch is “another state-of-the-nation masterpiece from James Graham” (Telegraph) and his “most moving work yet” (The Times). Book your tickets today!

What is the play Punch about?

A night out in Nottingham, and council estate teenager Jacob is on a drug-fuelled bender filled with brawling, birds, and booze. But when a fight on the street takes a dark turn, one punch alters the course of Jacob’s future forever. At just 19 years old, Jacob is convicted of manslaughter. Grappling with the guilt of his mistakes and struggling to rebuild his future, Jacob finds redemption in an unlikely place when the parents of the boy he killed reach out.

“A powerful meditation on morality” (Telegraph), Punch is based on a devastating true story and is adapted from Right from Wrong, Jacob Dunne’s memoir about his experiences with the Restorative Justice system. Dunne also served as a consultant on the play, which was written by award-winning playwright James Graham.

Graham was granted permission to write the play from the parents of James Hodgkinson, the young man who was killed, and dedicates Punch to his memory and to all those who have lost their lives from one punch.

Punch aims to raise awareness about the Restorative Justice system and how beneficial it can be to young offenders, as well as highlighting the dangers of one punch.

Punch premiered at the Nottingham Playhouse to critical acclaim before transferring to the Young Vic Theatre, selling out at both venues, and has already been confirmed for a Broadway transfer, running co-currently with the West End run this Autumn. “Tucked inside this grave account of crime, punishment, forgiveness and rehabilitation is warmth and humour” (The Guardian) - you won’t want to miss this deeply special, deeply moving play.

Who are the cast of Punch?

The cast of the Young Vic production are reprising their roles for the West End transfer with David Shields (Black Mirror, Arcadia) giving “a career-making performance” (The Guardian) as Jacob. BAFTA winner, Coronation Street and Broadchurch star Julie Hesmondhalgh (The Jungle, Mother Courage and her Children) and Tony Hirst (Hangmen, Brassic) play Joan and David, the parents of the young man who is killed.

The ensemble cast also includes Shalisha James-Davis (Mary Queen of Scots, The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe), Alec Boadan (Masters Of The Air, Random Acts) and Emma Pallant (Cowbois, Queenie).

Who are the creative team of Punch?

Punch is written by award-winning Nottingham-born playwright and screenwriter James Graham. Graham is best known for his dynamic, fictionalised play adaptations of real-life events, often with a political spin, including football drama Dear England, Quiz - about the Who Wants to be a Millionaire? cheating scandal - and This House, set during the Hung Parliament election of 1974. He is a two-time Olivier Award winner and Tony nominee.

Graham’s Nottingham-set BBC drama Sherwood won two BAFTAs, while his show Brexit: An Uncivil War, which aired on Channel 4 in the UK and internationally on HBO, earned both BAFTA and Emmy nominations. He has also adapted his own work for screen, including Quiz for ITV and an upcoming TV version of Dear England for the BBC.

In 2020 Graham was appointed OBE - Officer of the Order of the British Empire - for services to drama and young people in British theatre. In 2024, the New Statesman magazine included him in their The Left Power List, a "guide to the 50 most influential people in progressive politics" (New Statesman).

Punch is directed by the Nottingham Playhouse's artistic director, Adam Penford, who directed both the Nottingham premiere and the Young Vic transfer. His previous credits include Committee for the Donmar Warehouse,A Small Family Business for the National Theatre, The Sound of Music for Chichester Festival Theatre.

Book Tickets for Punch at the Apollo Theatre Today!

Make sure to bring your tissues along - Punch is a powerful, searing drama and “its climax will have you blubbing” (Time Out). One of the finest playwrights working in Britain today, Graham “turns a tragic story into a truly devastating piece of theatre” (Evening Standard). This hope-filled and heartbreaking play about regret, redemption, class and the criminal justice system sold out its previous runs and has a strictly limited 10-week engagement in the West End, so make sure to book early. Secure your tickets for Punch at the Apollo Theatre today!