James Graham's Punch To Premiere Simultaneously on Broadway and West End

James Graham's play Punch will premiere on Broadway and in London's West End simultaneously later this year.

The Broadway run, which is scheduled for this fall at Manhattan Theatre Club's Samuel J. Friedman Theatre, was revealed last month. Now, the simultaneous West End production has entered the fray, running at the Apollo Theatre for a strictly limited 10-week run September 22-November 29. Opening night is set for September 26, and will be a charity performance. These runs follow two sold out engagements at Nottingham Playhouse and London's Young Vic.

Written by the Olivier-winning playwright (Best of Enemies, Dear England), the piece brings Jacob Dunne’s powerful memoir Right From Wrong to the stage. The work follows a Nottingham teenager whose impulsive punch leads to fatal consequences and a prison sentence. After his release, Dunne connected with the victim's parents and sparked a profound transformation. The sell-out world premiere at Playhouse ignited discussions across the U.K. regarding one-punch murders, even reaching the House of Commons.

The original cast comprising Alec Boaden (Masters of the Air) as Raf/DS Villers/Sam, Julie Hesmondhalgh (Mr Bates vs the Post Office) as Joan/Nan, Tony Hirst (Boiling Point) as David/Derek/Tony/Raf's Dad, Shalisha James-Davis (I May Destroy You) as Clare/Nicola, Emma Pallant (Queenie) as Wendy/Sandra/Jacob’s Mum, and David Shields (Black Mirror) as Jacob will all reprise their roles in the West End. Information on dates and casting is forthcoming for the Broadway production.

Julie Hesmondhalgh and Tony Hirst in *Punch* Marc Brenner

Said Graham, “The honor and responsibility of telling Jacob, Joan, and David's story, and witnessing the impact their real-life journey has on audiences night on night—in Nottingham, and at the Young Vic—I can honestly say it makes Punch one of the most moving and meaningful plays I've ever had the privilege to create. Having a further opportunity to see this Nottingham story on a national and now global stage is also, on a personal level, a deeply moving and surprising turn of events.

"We want Punch to grab audiences and entertain them, but we're also pleased to see it contributing to wider conversations about justice and masculinity. In the last week alone we visited Parliament to introduce the issues of Punch to lawmakers, and led a screening and Q&A at HMP YOI Isis as part of a Taking Part project from the Young Vic Theatre, KPPL Productions, and Untold Creative Training. I'm grateful to our producers for their wider advocacy, to Adam Penford, and to our incredible cast.��

Kate Pakenham, one of the production's lead producers, added that, "Great storytelling��Mr Bates vs The Post Office and Adolescence as examples—can change the national, and even international, conversation around urgent issues of the moment. Punch does the same, asking profound questions about who we are to one another and offering a story of immense hope about our capacity for kindness. It is thrilling to be able to bring the production to the West End as it opens simultaneously on Broadway. This will be a trans-Atlantic theatre event of an important and hugely relevant play. In recognition of the very special nature of this play and production, the West End producers have committed that any producer profit will be used to provide future access to Punch for young people. We present the play in honor of the incredible people at the centre of the story, with our deepest respect for them all, and in memory of James Hodgkinson.��

The production is dedicated to James Hodgkinson and all victims of one-punch.

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