We’re already fans of James Graham’s work – one of the UK’s leading political playwrights, we’ve now caught a number of his shows. Last year we checked out the football-themed Dear England, and we also reviewed Best of Enemies the year before, which used the framing device of televised debates to consider the American political landscape.
Punch tells a smaller, more localised story – based on real events, we meet teenager Jacob (David Shields) who unintentionally kills a young trainee paramedic on a night out in Nottingham. Like Graham’s other plays, it’s contextualised against a political backdrop – there are references to the widespread riots during the summer of 2011 and London hosting the Olympics in 2012. Expect a healthy dose of social commentary, particularly in relation to austerity and the prison system, as the play’s events unfold.
It’s a show that focuses on the process of restorative justice. Act one sets out the details of the fateful night, told largely from Jacob’s perspective; but over the course of the play we gradually learn more about the victim, James, and his family, building a picture of his life. It’s an emotional process – there’s a particularly poignant scene in act two which brought many members of the press night audience to tears.
It’s an incredible performance from David Shields as Jacob: a bundle of nervous energy, he’s captivating throughout – he has incredible stage presence. It seems to be a very demanding role – he’s on stage most of the time, with a huge number of lines, not just his own dialogue but narrating much of the on-stage action too. Julie Hesmondhalgh is as brilliant as ever, predominantly in the role of the victim’s mother but also taking on a number of minor parts over the evening. In fact it’s a superb ensemble piece, with Alec Boaden, Tony Hirst, Shalisha James-Davis and Emma Pallant all admirably switching between a wide array of roles.
Punch is an excellent new play featuring a talented cast telling a compelling story. On occasion, a few moments seemed somewhat contrived – one or two speeches felt a little unnatural, as if they were shoehorned in to land a political point – but for the most part this is a brilliant, emotional tale, told sensitively and with a surprising amount of warmth and humour. With its focus more on the restorative justice process as opposed to the initial act of violence, the overall mood of the play is surprisingly optimistic and uplifting, given the subject matter. Highly recommended.
GAY TIMES gives Punch – 4/5
More information can be found here.
Latest
