James Graham’s play Punch which had its première at Nottingham Playhouse in 2024 will go to Broadway in autumn 2025.
The Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC) will present the Broadway première at the Samuel J Friedman Theatre. It will be directed by Nottingham Playhouse artistic director Adam Penford who will make his Broadway and American directorial debut.
Penford said, “I'm a long-term admirer of MTC's programme of work and have loved the productions I've seen at the Friedman theatre. James Graham is a master storyteller and the real-life story of Punch is profound, thought-provoking and uplifting. It's ultimately about kindness and building a better world, something which will resonate as strongly with US audiences as it did in the UK.”
The production is currently running at London’s Young Vic Theatre.
Lynne Meadow, artistic director at MTC, commented, “all of us at Manhattan Theatre Club are thrilled to welcome the brilliant James Graham back to the Friedman Theatre where our production of his play Ink received great acclaim in 2019.” It received six Tony Award nominations including best play.
Based on the book Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunne, Punch ignited discussions across the country from theatres to courthouses and the House of Commons. It tells a true story of tragedy, forgiveness, redemption and reform.
It is a true-life account of how Nottingham teenager Jacob throws a single punch—with fatal consequences. When he is released from prison, the parents of the victim ask to meet him. Their quest for answers results in an unlikely connection, and Jacob’s life begins to turn around.