New Images: In rehearsals with James Graham’s acclaimed production Punch

Leeds Playhouse shares rehearsal images from the rehearsal room of Olivier Award-winning playwright James Graham’s Punch, a true story of hope, humanity, and the possibility of change. This Nottingham Playhouse production, soon to visit Leeds Playhouse, premiered in 2024 and went on to a sellout Young Vic run before transferring to Broadway and the West End, earning four recent Olivier Award nominations. Leeds Playhouse will stage the production from 7 – 11 April.

The cast includes Elan Butler (The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return, Southwark Playhouse and UK Tour; Masters of the Air, Apple TV+) as Raf and Sam; Matthew Flynn (The Winter’s Tale, RSC; Say Nothing, Disney/FX) as David, the father of James Hodgkinson; Olivier-nominated Grace Hodgett Young (Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre/St James Theatre; Hadestown, Lyric Theatre) as Clare and Nicola; Jack James Ryan (Sing Street, Lyric Hammersmith; Coronation Street, ITV) as Jacob; Laura Tebbutt (Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre; School of Rock, Gillian Lynne Theatre) as Jacob’s mum and Wendy; and Finty Williams (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, National Tour; Run Away, Netflix) as James’ mother, Joan.

Originally created by Nottingham Playhouse and based on the book Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunne, James Graham’s Punch led to the issue of Restorative Justice being raised in Parliament and was cited by a local judge when sentencing a one-punch case. Graham was awarded the Kevin Pakenham Award (Longford Trust) for Punch, and David Shields, who originally played the lead character, won Best Performance in a Play at the UK Theatre Awards 2024.

Graham, who is from Nottingham, is one of Britain’s most celebrated writers, winning multiple Olivier Awards, as well as BAFTA, Emmy and Tony Award nominations. His political drama, This House, opened at Leeds Playhouse in 2018. In Punch, he turns Jacob Dunne’s unflinching true-life account into a gripping and moving play that’s energetic, entertaining and heartbreaking.

The original creative team return and include: Production Designer Anna Fleischle (Death Of A Salesman, Broadway; 2:22 A Ghost Story, Young Vic Theatre); Lighting Designer Robbie Butler (How to Win Against History, Bristol Old Vic; Death in Venice, Welsh National Opera); Sound Designer and Composer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite (Work It Out, HOME; Lost and Found, Factory International); Movement Director Leanne Pinder (The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Mountview; Disruption, The Park Theatre); and Casting Director Christopher Worrall CDG (The Beekeeper of Aleppo, Nottingham Playhouse; Call the Midwife, BBC).

Jacob Dunne, a teenager from The Meadows, Nottingham, spends his Saturday nights seeking thrills with his friends. One fateful evening in Old Market Square, an impulsive punch leads to fatal consequences. After serving prison time, Jacob finds himself lost and directionless. Searching for answers, Joan and David – the parents of his victim James – ask to meet, sparking a profound transformation in Jacob’s life.

Punch is dedicated to James Hodgkinson and all victims of one-punch.

Punch plays at Leeds Playhouse 7 – 11 April. Tickets are available here.