After an afternoon following Gareth Southgate’s progress in Dear England, we continued our James Graham day with a visit to the Young Vic to see his Punch, a transfer of the 2024 Nottingham Playhouse production with the same cast and creative team. It’s based on the true story of Jacob Dunne, who killed 28 year old James Hodgkinson in 2011 with one fatal punch in an unprovoked attack. He received a two and a half year sentence for manslaughter, served fourteen months in prison, and afterwards met his victim’s parents through a restorative justice programme. He has since championed awareness of One Punch violence, the benefits of restorative justice, as well as giving support to victims of crime and violence.

Punch is based on Dunne’s own book, Right from Wrong, so you can be assured that it’s as close to the truth as possible. It’s a blistering production of a riveting story, told with compassion and humanity by a fantastic cast. Anna Fleischle’s set convincingly places you in the concrete Meadows estate in Nottingham, with dark slopes and walkways with metal bars, and you can easily imagine the kind of environment in which Jacob, Raf, Clare and others grew up. Robbie Butler’s lighting smartly takes us from day to night; one particularly imaginative effect is how it suggests the fires caused during rioting and looting. James Graham is currently unmatched in his ability to take a true life story and express it for a wider audience; his feeling for fragmented conversation is pinpoint accurate, and, as always, he blends acutely raw emotions with humour.

There are no villains here. Jacob grew up as an ordinary lad. He gave into temptations as he got older, deprioritising school in search of fun and cash; his involvement in the moment of madness that killed James and changed his life forever was triggered by a response of loyalty – his mates were involved in “action” and therefore he had to step in. That was the code of conduct. Most people would regard loyalty as a positive attribute. And so many of us are guilty of acting first and thinking afterwards; it’s just rare that it has such disastrous consequences. That’s certainly one of the take home messages of the play – to some extent, something like this could happen to so many of us.

The play also shows the devastating effect of the crime on others. This is not just a matter between Jacob, John and the legal system. John’s parents, Joan and David, are left bereft, heartbroken, and in a vacuum. They’ve no idea why their son was killed, and indeed they don’t find out until they meet Jacob during the restorative justice procedure years later. Jacob’s mother loses her job as a child minder, specifically because she is barred from the work due to the crime he committed. Thus she loses her home, her income and her physical and mental health. He becomes estranged from Sam, his younger brother, cocooned in his room, at a time when Sam needed all the support a big brother could give. They say no man is an island – that’s certainly the case here.

Aside from David Shields’ performance as Jacob, the other five cast members weave in and out of their various roles with remarkable dexterity, literally at the drop of a hat or removal of a jumper; a superb ensemble performance from them all. Alec Boaden excels as the rascally but cowardly Raf, timid, uncertain Sam and the fair-minded detective Villiers. Emma Pallant is also excellent as Jacob’s mum and probation officer Wendy; as is Shalisha James-Davis as Clare, the local girl who becomes a nurse and as Nicola, the charity worker from Remedi who brings Jacob and John’s parents together. Tony Hirst convinces in a range of diverse roles including John’s father David, finding it impossible to balance the need to move forward with his love for his lost son, unable to forgive.

Julie Hesmondhalgh is stunning as Joan; a superb portrayal of a kindly, confused, practical but anguished mother trying to make sense of it all. The scene where Joan and David meet Jacob is played with such agonising emotion that it is impossible for your eyes not to well up. But it is David Shields who stands out with his most compelling performance as Jacob. A powerful, energetic, physical stage presence; totally believable, and despite the terrible thing that Jacob did, you completely connect with him. In his first major theatre role, Mr Shields is the kind of actor you can’t stop watching when they’re on stage; surely a star career lies ahead.

The Young Vic run is almost sold out, but the production will transfer to the Apollo Theatre in September. A must-see.

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