A single punch, thrown in a haze of drink and drugs in Nottingham city centre one Saturday night, had devastating consequences upon a number of lives. Yet miraculously, from the depths of a tragedy in which a man lost his life, a tiny bloom of hope began to unfurl. Such is the bare-bones outline of Jacob Dunne’s book Right from Wrong, which indefatigable voice-of-the-nation playwright James Graham has adapted into a whirlingly kinetic piece of theatre.
Fittingly, the production debuted at Nottingham Playhouse and now transfers to London for an extended outing. Such is the immense work-rate of the non-stop, quick-change cast that it comes as something of a surprise to realise that there are only six of them. In the frantic flurry of short scenes that form the first half, the actors play such a spinning Catherine wheel of characters that it occasionally feels like an exhausting challenge to get a firm handle on everything.
What is instantly clear, however, is that Jacob (David Shields) is the man at the centre of it all. We follow him, buzzing for action and aggro, on that fateful night out and, with the timeline jumping about non-chronologically, gradually fill in the details of his life on one of Nottingham’s most notorious council estates. Yet the drama also has another thrust of scenes: those involving Joan (Julie Hesmondhalgh) and David (Tony Hirst), as they learn in near-silent incredulity the desperate fate of their trainee paramedic son James, who quite simply happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
square THEATRE REVIEWS Cate Blanchett blazes on stage in The Seagull
Read More
Hesmondhalgh brings her usual pragmatic bluffness to the part, which certainly helps to move the story along. “I’m becoming someone James wouldn’t know, maybe wouldn’t even like,” says Joan eventually, and from here the narrative shifts into an almost unbelievably moving story about restorative justice. In the climactic scene, which packs an almighty punch in all the right ways, Jacob, Joan and David sit together in a room and we marvel anew at the unfathomable depths of human resilience.
Overall, Graham takes on a little too much, which can leave some strands of Adam Penford’s production feeling underserved. One particularly effective minor key theme reflects upon the vulnerability of prison leavers, whose risk of reoffending remains perilously high. Emma Pallant swirls through shirts and hairstyles in multiple roles, morphing skilfully from probation officer to Jacob’s disintegrating mother.
Anchoring everything, as it should, is a magnificent central performance from Shields. At first, Jacob is all wired energy, then shoulder-shrugging taciturnity. In that vital meeting with James’s parents, his acting is all about his eyes: looking directly at Joan and David is not a possibility at first, meaning sideways glances prevail. Eventually, he manages a straight gaze and in that moment a life gradually begins to turn around.
To 26 April, Young Vic Theatre, London (020 7922 2922, youngvic.org)
Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( James Graham’s Punch is urgent, frantic and exhausting )
Also on site :
- NYT Mini Crossword Answers, Hints for Friday, June 20, 2025
- Canadian rescuers rush to a remote part of Banff park following reports that a rock slide hit hikers
- Country 'MVP' Refunds Entire Audience Mid-Concert and Fans 'Cannot Believe He Did That'