Nadia on… Punch by James Graham

I recently saw Punch in the West End, a phenomenal play by Notts playwright James Graham about the real-life tragedy in which Jacob Dunne kills James Hodgkinson with a single blow, outside a bar in Nottingham, in 2011. In the years since, this incident and the remarkable story of its aftermath have sparked extensive discussion about male youth violence and restorative justice. 

Having grown up in the Meadows as a teenager, where Jacob is from, it was surreal to see a story that felt so close to home performed to sold-out audiences in London. But it shows that the themes it tackles and the questions it raises resonate deeply, far beyond our city. What the play captures so powerfully is the set of conditions that led to that life-shattering moment and the complex aftermath – the shock, the denial, and eventual acceptance of grief and responsibility.

For those unfamiliar with the story, in 2011, nineteen-year-old Jacob Dunne was out drinking with his friends. At the same time, James Hodgkinson, a 28-year-old trainee paramedic, was on a pub crawl in town with his father and brother, after watching a cricket match at Trent Bridge. As the evening went on, a minor disagreement broke out between the two groups of men over a pair of sunglasses. James himself posed no threat, but as tensions rose between the groups Jacob, having been called over by his mates, ran over and threw a single punch. James fell backwards, hitting his head on the pavement, and suffered a catastrophic brain injury. He never regained consciousness and died nine days later in a hospital.

For weeks, Jacob didn’t know that James had died. He only learned something was seriously wrong when friends told him the police were asking questions. When he voluntarily went to the station, it was there that he learned James had lost his life and was arrested on suspicion of murder. Jacob was ultimately convicted of manslaughter. As he admitted to the offence, and because the fatal injury resulted from James’s fall rather than the punch itself, he received a sentence of thirty months, of which he served fourteen.

Jacob struggled to take responsibility at the time. He saw the incident as a moment of bad luck, but that changed when James’ parents reached out to him from a place of unimaginable grief to seek understanding of the night’s events. Confronted with their courage and compassion, Jacob began to grasp the true magnitude of what had happened. It was this moment that set him on a path towards accountability and transformed his life.

These days, Jacob and James’ parents use their experiences to educate about the risks of one-punch killings and advocate for restorative justice. In 2020, Jacob presented The Punch, a BBC Radio 4 series exploring the impact of violent crime and the potential for redemption. His book, Right From Wrong, furthers his campaign against violence and promotes restorative practices as a solution to division, crime, and hate. 

We know that serious violence does not emerge in a vacuum, and the adverse experiences in Jacob’s childhood and teenage years, depicted in the play, demonstrate this. Research shows that people who live in more deprived areas are more likely to live in neighbourhoods with higher crime rates. The impacts of poverty and deprivation are far-reaching and can create problems of social isolation, low educational attainment, unemployment, and impact mental and physical health, as well as social interactions.

In Nottingham, we have some of the highest levels of deprivation in England and shocking child poverty rates in some of our most deprived areas. It’s why, among many other reasons, this government must confront the vast social and economic inequalities shaping young people’s lives in our city and across the country. Otherwise, our communities are being set up to fail.

Jacob is also leading a campaign calling on the government to give all crime victims the legal right to pursue restorative justice. This is a voluntary process for the victim and the offender to share how the crime has affected them, which can be face-to-face, in writing, or through recorded interviews. However, fewer than one in twenty victims are ever informed about this option.

Some people will dismiss restorative justice as a soft alternative to punishment, but that misunderstands its purpose, which is to understand why a crime has happened and its impact, and to reduce the chances of reoffending. It’s a process that requires accountability and emotional vulnerability. Given the evidence that it helps victims of crime feel heard – in a criminal justice system that often disempowers them – and reduces reoffending, it seems a no-brainer that victims should have a legal right to be told that restorative justice exists. I have already backed this campaign and hope that the government introduces this transformative legislation.

Punch deserves the critical acclaim it has received since its launch. Both hilarious in some places, and gut-wrenching in others, Punch is a real testament to James Graham’s skill as a playwright and the commitment of all involved to advocate for a society which reduces violence, improves rehabilitation and refuses to write people off. It made me laugh and cry in almost equal measure – an absolute must-watch.

Due to popular demand and a remarkable run on Broadway and in the West End, the play will be returning to Nottingham Playhouse in March 2026, tickets to which you can book now. Read our review here.

nadiawhittome.org