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Theatre

Punch

Tue 23 - Sat 27 Mar 2027
Approx 2hrs 25mins
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Overview

Following sold-out runs at the Nottingham Playhouse and Young Vic, and simultaneous openings on Broadway and in the West End, Punch comes to BEAM for one week only as part of its limited UK tour.

WINNER of two Olivier Awards, including Best New Play

WINNER Critics’ Circle Award Best New Play

WINNER London Standard Award Best Play 

Don’t miss your chance to see this critically acclaimed play in a ‘powerhouse of a production’ (WhatsOnStage).  

From Olivier Award-winning writer James Graham (Dear England, This House, BBC’s Sherwood), Punch brings Jacob Dunne’s extraordinary true story to the stage in a gripping, high-energy and deeply moving production directed by Adam Penford.  

Jacob Dunne, a teenager from Nottingham, spends his Saturday nights seeking thrills with his friends. One fateful evening, 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.   

A powerful true story of hope, humanity, and the possibility of change. 

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

★★★★★  It is a play every single person should see WhatsOnStage  

★★★★★ James Graham’s most moving work yet The Times 

Production Pictures

A group of 6 people wearing blue jeans and dark jackets crowd together. They look out with excited, expectant expressions. The woman at the front clenches her fist in victory.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A young man with dark brown hair, wearing an adidas tracksuit top, leans forward on a steel railing. He grasps a baseball cap in his right hand. He is speaking intently to someone off camera.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A stage set with sweeping ramps down both sides and strong spotlights. 6 actors are spaced around the set, five of them look at one man in the middle, who looks out.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
Four actors sit on a stage. Their chairs and a table are encircled by a line of light on the floor. A young man talks, his arm reaching out, whilst the others listen intently.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A young man in jeans and a dark jacket holds another man down by his shoulder and raises his right fist, as if about to hit him. The other man kneels on the stage, his arms raised, eyes closed and a look of fear on his face.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A woman with red hair kneels on the floor holding a young man in her arms. The man sits cross legged, wearing a white shirt and is resting his head on her. They both smile.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A group of 6 people in casual clothing lean back and lift an arm to their mouths, as if drinking from a cup or glass. The stage is lit with bright light and in the background, a sweeping ramp and concrete tunnel can be seen.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A stage set with sweeping ramps down both sides and strong spotlights, in shades of blue, pink and purple. 6 actors fill the stage. All but one face the back, their arms raised. The man at the front holds his arms out, as if asking a question.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A group of 6 people in casual clothes huddle together at the end of a concrete tunnel. They look out, focussed on something in the distance.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A group of 6 people wearing blue jeans and dark jackets crowd together. The man in the middle wears a white shirt. They all look up and out expectantly. They are lit with a red light.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A group of 6 people wearing blue jeans and dark jackets crowd together. They look out with excited, expectant expressions. The woman at the front clenches her fist in victory.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A young man with dark brown hair, wearing an adidas tracksuit top, leans forward on a steel railing. He grasps a baseball cap in his right hand. He is speaking intently to someone off camera.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A stage set with sweeping ramps down both sides and strong spotlights. 6 actors are spaced around the set, five of them look at one man in the middle, who looks out.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
Four actors sit on a stage. Their chairs and a table are encircled by a line of light on the floor. A young man talks, his arm reaching out, whilst the others listen intently.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A young man in jeans and a dark jacket holds another man down by his shoulder and raises his right fist, as if about to hit him. The other man kneels on the stage, his arms raised, eyes closed and a look of fear on his face.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A woman with red hair kneels on the floor holding a young man in her arms. The man sits cross legged, wearing a white shirt and is resting his head on her. They both smile.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A group of 6 people in casual clothing lean back and lift an arm to their mouths, as if drinking from a cup or glass. The stage is lit with bright light and in the background, a sweeping ramp and concrete tunnel can be seen.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A stage set with sweeping ramps down both sides and strong spotlights, in shades of blue, pink and purple. 6 actors fill the stage. All but one face the back, their arms raised. The man at the front holds his arms out, as if asking a question.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A group of 6 people in casual clothes huddle together at the end of a concrete tunnel. They look out, focussed on something in the distance.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast
A group of 6 people wearing blue jeans and dark jackets crowd together. The man in the middle wears a white shirt. They all look up and out expectantly. They are lit with a red light.
Photo credit: Pamela Raith. 2026 Cast

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