Punch tells the true story of Nottingham teenager Jacob Dunne, who was jailed for manslaughter after throwing a single but lethal punch at a stranger in the Nottingham Market Square on the night of 31st July 2011. It is the stuff of nightmares – a tale about how one heated exchange fuelled by machismo, drink, and drugs ended the life of one person and devastated many more lives in the process.
The play is based on Dunne’s own account of events as told in his autobiographical book – ‘Right from Wrong’. It’s a very good read if you are interested in learning more about the background to this story. The extraordinary part is the way in which Dunne was subsequently helped to turn his life around by none other than the parents of the young man whose life he had ended, in a process known as Restorative Justice. As a result of some carefully managed encounters with the family of his victim, and with the support of others in the criminal justice system, Dunne has gone on to educate young people about the dangers of gang culture and the consequences of ‘one punch’.
The script is in the safe hands of Olivier award winning local writer James Graham. Graham has worked closely with Dunne to produce a play that promises to be infused with hope – a story which aims to honour those individuals involved in the events.
The first thing to note upon entering the auditorium is the set designed by Anna Fleischle. It is stark, bare and dark. Bridges, subways and ramps cleverly evoke the landscape of the inner-city. Urban familiarity and menace are claustrophobically intertwined, even as we take our seats.
Jacob Dunne, the central character, is played by David Shields. Shields does sterling work – he portrays Jacob with an edgy energy – he is believably wrapped up with the wrong crowd, while at the same time vulnerable and gentle. Shields frequently breaks the fourth wall and addresses the audience, which cleverly allows us to hear the voice of the real Jacob. These monologues are energetic, poetic and songful. They are beautifully written and impressively delivered.
I particularly like the way that the main event of the piece – the punch – is handled using a moment of theatrical blackout. This seismic moment is returned to frequently throughout Act One and serves to punctuate the action as we navigate our way backwards and forwards through time. There is nothing gratuitous or voyeuristic here – we never see the victim, James Hodgkinson, portrayed on stage and this feels respectful and fitting.
We do however, meet James’ parents Joan (Julie Hesmondhalgh) and David (Tony Hirst). These two actors are pitch perfect in these roles – Hesmondhalgh portrays the grief and torment of a mother trying to make sense of the horror of it all with grace and dignity. She also conveys the gritty determination of a person who needs to know all the facts and ultimately to see good come from this terrible event. This role needs a strong player and in Julie Hesmondhalgh they have found the best. Here is a performance that makes you feel like you have met Joan for real.
Hirst gives us an understandably detached David, a man who clearly finds being in the presence of his son’s killer more of a challenge, a man who is perhaps less than at ease with the Restorative Justice process, but who trusts the judgement of Joan completely. The scenes that Hesmondhalgh and Hirst share with Shields’ Dunne are totally electrifying – tense, moving, and at times, surprisingly funny.
Another devastated parent in the story is that of Jacob’s mum played by Emma Pallant. Pallant makes her such a sympathetic character that her descent into alcoholism and illness is truly heartbreaking. These scenes feel like a loving tribute to a woman who tried her best to understand and to support her boy under extremely difficult circumstances.
Alec Boaden and Shalisha James-Davis ably play three characters each throughout the piece. Boaden is especially excellent as Jacob’s partner in crime Raf. He captures the laddish archetype with sufficient menace. His range is on display here too, giving us little brother Sam, communicating a different kind of bravado, helplessness and sensitivity to perfection. James-Davis is wonderful as Dunne’s RJ support worker and firm advocate of the process Nicola. I’m astonished by the dynamism of these players who switch back and forth between characters with such ease.
The power of the storytelling is greatly enhanced by the use of some thought-provoking movement. Leanne Pinder has produced a piece which is easy on the eye. Direction by Adam Penford is pacy and at the same time tactful, sensitive and bold.
So, would I recommend that you go to see this play? You bet I would – it is a magnificent triumph in the art of storytelling. It is a tale about real-life redemption lovingly told by an empathetic ensemble of creatives. Graham, in close collaboration with Dunne, has created a piece which I believe honours the memory of all those involved and which does not flinch in the face of the awful facts. This is theatre which will bring Jacob Dunne’s message of the power of forgiveness and hope to a broader audience. It feels like an awesome privilege to hear his story. It will challenge your attitudes and will make you ask questions about how you might have responded had you found yourself in the shoes of any one of these characters. A piece firmly rooted here in Nottingham with themes that are resoundingly universal. Everybody should see this play.
Punch is at the Nottingham Playhouse until Saturday 25th May 2024.
