PUNCH

James Graham swaps Parliament for the punch-drunk as Punch arrives in London freighted with the true, grim tale of Jacob Dunne. It depicts a world defined by youthful swagger and recreational violence, where a single, fatal blow shatters lives in Nottingham. David Shields lends Jacob an apt, angsty animation, driven by Adam Penton’s propulsive staging. But Graham, eschewing cheap sensation, steers towards the harder terrain of restorative justice – the devastating (and very teary for all watching) encounter between Dunne and his victim\'s parents. Here lies the play\'s noble intent (and its only dramatic shortfall). While commendably empathetic, refusing to aggrandise its protagonist, the piece occasionally drifts occasionally towards the overly didactic for this reviewer. Yet, its power resides in charting genuine transformation that makes up the rarest of dramatic virtues. A serious, moving, if sometimes overly explicit, reckoning with violence and the difficult grace of forgiveness.

My concerns that the gaudy, golden trim of the Apollo\'s interior might clash with the subject matter were quickly abated. From the wing of row D, I was immersed, drawn into the world of the Meadows. The story is the story, it is nothing short of remarkable and the writing is self-aware and, importantly, real. James Graham pays such attention to the small moments that make us who we are, mispronunciations or confusing words when our minds are elsewhere (Pontefract vs punitive, in this instance).

The minimal set design morphs from estate to prison cell, its very neutrality transforming it under certain light from a community centre tea room to a church. This set also provides space for the movement of the production which, at times, feels adjacent to contemporary dance evoking not only the nightclubs of Nottingham but also the warrens of the Meadows (the Radburn-style estate in which Jacob Dunne grew up in Nottingham) and the agile movements of young gang members and dealers to traverse the estate out of sight of the CCTV.

David Shields is magnificent, at one moment a whirlwind of adrenaline and machismo swagger, the next a vulnerable, frightened man learning a new language, one of honesty and forgiveness. This play is more than just a one man show, the rest of the cast are superb, especially, in my opinion, Julie Hesmondhalgh as Joan Hodgkinson.

A mesmerising and moving production, I would encourage anyone to see it, and to sit as close to the action as possible.

Rarely do the flood-gates open for me in the theatre like they did about 30 minutes into this play (which continued for the duration- sans tissues- a feat in itself). David Shields\' performance as Jacob touched something deep inside my soul. It was the exploration of forgiveness and redemption that got me. Not enough words in the dictionary for how greatly I recommend this show.