'Punch' review — James Graham delivers raw emotion in this powerful exploration of grief and guilt

Read our review of Graham's play Punch, starring David Shields, now in performances at the Apollo Theatre to 29 November.

Summary

• James Graham's acclaimed play based on a real-life story comes to the West End
• David Shields is a force as protagonist Jacob Dunne
• Julie Hesmondhalgh and Tony Hirst are moving as the bereaved parents of Jacob's victim
• Graham effectively weaves humour into his compelling script

Is there any story that prolific playwright James Graham touches that doesn’t turn to gold? The Dear England creator is back in the West End with Punch, which premiered at Nottingham Playhouse last year before transferring to the Young Vic. Telling the real-life tale of Jacob Dunne, a young lad from Nottingham who killed paramedic James Hodgkinson with a single blow, it is a thoughtful exploration of guilt and grief that questions the possibility of redemption.

This is Graham at his best. Beginning as a frenzied monologue, the play hurls us into the mind of Jacob, who grew up on a council estate and was drawn into gang culture in his youth. On the night in question, he rushes through Nottingham’s streets, pubs and clubs until a call from his mates leads him to the scene of the crime on a summer night in 2011. “A fight’s coming tonight,” he says eagerly. What follows are the police interviews, a court hearing and, ultimately, a 30-month prison sentence.

As Jacob, David Shields is a force. He fuses the naivety of a young offender with the defensive anger he picked up on his patch of Nottingham. Over the years, he grows from a wide-eyed child who dotes on his single mum (played tenderly by Emma Pallant) into a spiky teen who hides behind layers of bravado and self-protection. Shields captures this evolution with a restless physicality, darting around the stage as if desperate to stay out of the light’s glare.

At its core, Punch is a tale about the power of restorative justice. Julie Hesmondhalgh and Tony Hirst play James’s bereaved parents, Joan and David, who live in the throes of deep, overwhelming pain. With the support of a caseworker, they decide to reach out to their son’s killer in search of answers.

Through their correspondence, Jacob is forced to confront the devastating consequences of his actions head on. His journey of transformation sees him take his GCSEs, reconcile with his younger brother and even deliver a TED talk about the experience. But it is the moment Jacob finally comes face to face with James’s parents that cuts the deepest. “Thank you,” Jacob says to them, his voice filled with sincerity. “You saved my life.”

Punch does not leave a dry eye in the house, yet Graham laces his script with surprising bouts of humour (Hesmondhalgh in particular is a master at finding lightness amid all the despair). Directed by Adam Penford, the production is strikingly unfussy. Sound by Alexandra Faye Braithwaite is effective at bringing mini scenes of the play to life, while Anna Fleischle’s concrete set remains bare. But the beauty of Punch lies in its simplicity and raw emotion. Graham delivers wonderfully, once again.

Punch is at the Apollo Theatre to 29 November. Book Punch tickets on LondonTheatre.co.uk

Photo credit: Punch (Photos by Marc Brenner)