Punch review: James Graham's play is a marvel on London's West End

Punch, which premiered at the Nottingham Playhouse before transferring to the Young Vic, then to the Apollo Theatre in the West End, recounts the events which led to Dunne fatally punching paramedic James Hodgkinson and the redemption which followed.

The play is based on Dunne's book, Right from Wrong, and it's been brought to life for the stay by Nottingham's own James Graham (Dear England, Boys from the Blackstuff, Best of Enemies), who proves time and time again why he deserves his flowers as one of Britain's great modern playwrights.

A lot happens in Graham's Punch, but the play is immaculately paced, and no moment feels rushed.

David Shields takes on the role of protagonist Dunne, and the audience meets him as he cuts about from Yates's to Thirland to Bluebell to Slab Square, talks of rivalries with neighbouring districts St Ann's and Radford, and visits mates in Meadows and Holgate. We quickly learn that Dunne is a character who lives for the weekend, partying and petty fights, like many young lads, but it takes just one blow for Dunne's life as he knows it to come crashing down.

Winner of the Best Performance in a Play award at the 2025 UK Theatre Awards, Shields is remarkable as Dunne; the actor explores Dunne's self-protection which manifests itself as anger and cockiness – a much-needed coping mechanism if you're growing up in the Meadows. When Dunne meets Hodgkinson's parents, Shields expertly navigates his character's feelings of guilt and grief, all while coming to terms with the accidental nature of the punch.

The relationship that forms between Dunne and Hodgkinson's parents is the most pivotal part of the play, and you can hardly believe it's based on a real-life relationship.

Julie Hesmondhalgh (Coronation Street) and Tony Hirst (Hollyoaks) play James’s bereaved parents, Joan and David, who meet their son's killer through restorative justice charity Remedi. Punch is nuanced in how it explores the parents' pain, as well as their will to help Dunne turn his life around, so that two lives haven't been lost to the attack. We learn that Joan stayed by her son's side until he died, but by which point, his death had become a murder investigation, and she's ushered away for questioning rather than being able to join the rest of her family.

The play is also a story about 'what ifs', Hesmondhalgh asks what would've happened if Hodgkinson wasn't treated like another Saturday-night-out drunk and told to 'sleep off' his injuries, and what if Dunne wasn't failed by the institutions designed to help him? As Dunne's probation officer points out in the play, people are so obsessed with fixing potholes but they're less interested in helping people.

Besides Shields, the cast in Punch play multiple roles, and one of the standout actors for me was Alec Boaden who plays Raf, Dunne's brother, among other roles. Earlier in the year, I'd seen Boaden play the role of Jude in Regent's Park Open Air Theatre's adaptation of Noughts & Crosses, and I'm looking forward to seeing what else the young actor features in.

This remarkable story of the power of restorative justice is performing for a limited time only, and we'd urge everyone to see it.

Buy Punch tickets from £23 at TodayTix

Where and when can I see James Graham's Punch?

Punch has transferred to the West End's Apollo Theatre for a strictly limited time only, until Saturday 29th November.

Punch has had two sold-out runs at the Nottingham Playhouse and Young Vic, so while ticket availability is good at the moment, this might change.

Buy Punch tickets from £23 at TodayTix

How to get Punch tickets at Apollo Theatre

Tickets for Punch are available right now at TodayTix, and at the time of writing (Monday 29th September), tickets cost from £23.

Buy Punch tickets from £23 at TodayTix

For more of the latest reviews, take a look at our Born With Teeth review and five star The Producers review.