Punch – The Apollo, London

Writer: James Graham

Director: Adam Penford

James Graham has built a reputation as a dramatist who can turn the intricacies of politics into gripping theatre. Punch, his latest work, first at the Nottingham Playhouse and now at The Apollo, is no exception in its immediacy and pace.

Punch is rooted in a true story that still reverberates across the national consciousness. A single punch thrown in 2011 ended the life of young paramedic James Hodgkinson and changed the course of the lives of the perpetrator, Jacob Dunne, and James’ family.

Graham’s script is characteristically sharp and quick-moving, keeping conversations fluid and scenes rattling along with little slack. It is both funny and deeply moving, successfully using one case study to highlight the wider failings of the state while maintaining a strong personal edge. The humour cuts against the weight of tragedy with uncomfortable precision, ensuring the story never collapses under its own seriousness. At times, however, the closeness of the subject to real life weighs heavily on the production. With so many individuals involved in the creative process who carry deeply personal stakes in the story, the writing occasionally feels hemmed in, unable to take the artistic risks that might have elevated the drama further.

Performances do much to carry the production. David Shields delivers a compelling Jacob, grounding the narrative with a broad East Midlands charm and bringing a masculine edge to emotional clarity. Alec Boaden is especially impressive, juggling Raf and several other roles with dexterity, injecting energy into each switch without ever losing credibility. Their scenes bristle with conviction, keeping the audience firmly engaged. The ensemble, bolstered by performances from Shalisha James-David and Emma Pallant, sustains the rapid-fire dialogue well, ensuring Graham’s script rarely loses its momentum.

Not all roles land with equal force. Julie Hesmondhalgh as Joan never quite channels the anger and raw emotion that underpins the family’s journey, which makes the eventual turn toward restorative justice less satisfying. Tony Hirst struggles to bring a deeper sincerity to David, leaving the play’s parental figures weaker than their dramatic weight requires. 

The design elements add significant texture. Robbie Butler’s lighting is dramatic and propulsive, underscoring shifts in tone with urgency and punctuating key moments with real force. Anna Fleischle’s set design conjures the sprawl of a Nottingham estate, a backdrop that feels both expansive and suffocating, reflecting the social structures pressing down on the characters. 

Punch demonstrates Graham’s ability to distil a complex and painful history into something theatrically engaging, even if the script occasionally reins itself in. The message is essential, but what resonates most strongly is the humanity with which it is delivered.

Runs until 29 November 2025