A true story of hope, humanity and the possibility of change is currently playing at Theatre Royal Plymouth.

The Devon venue is one only three venues in the UK to be staging the sell-out five-star production Punch , alongside Nottingham Playhouse and Leeds Playhouse.

Following its world premiere at Nottingham Playhouse itwo years ago, Punch went on to a sell-out run at the Young Vic, followed by acclaimed West End and Broadway transfers in the autumn of last year.

Punch is based on the book Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunne. It is an unflinching true-life account of the power of forgiveness. It sparked discussions from courthouses to the House of Commons on the topic of Restorative Justice in its original run.

Jacob Dunne, a teenager from The Meadows, Nottingham, spends his Saturday nights seeking thrills with his friends. But one fateful evening in Old Market Square, 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.

The director of Punch, Adam Penford, said: “It has been a whirlwind journey, seeing this Nottingham-based story, made at Nottingham Playhouse, affecting audiences so deeply across the globe.

“It has also been affirming to witness the local producers, in every city and venue, taking up our call for a meaningful community engagement programme exploring the themes of the play, ensuring the work offstage is just as impactful as the work onstage.

“We remain ever grateful to the real-life people whose story we're telling and hope the play continues to help them in their campaigning. This production is dedicated to James Hodgkinson and all other victims of one punch.”

James Mackenzie-Blackman, Chief Executive and Artistic Director for Theatre Royal Plymouth, added: "We're honoured to be presenting Punch in our spring 2026 season. It is a seminal and urgent work about the power to forgive, beautifully told, through James Graham's award-winning play. It is an anchor feature of our upcoming season and we look forward to welcoming the company to our stage"

The cast includes Elan Butler (The Chaos That Has Been and Will No Doubt Return, Southwark Playhouse and UK Tour; Masters of the Air, Apple TV+) as Raf and Sam; Matthew Flynn (The Winter’s Tale, RSC; Say Nothing, Disney/FX) as the father of James Hodgkinson, David with Olivier-nominated Grace Hodgett Young (Sunset Boulevard, Savoy Theatre/St James Theatre; Hadestown, Lyric Theatre) as Clare and Nicola.

Jack James Ryan (Sing Street, Lyric Hammersmith; Coronation Street, ITV) takes the role of Jacob; Laura Tebbutt(Mrs Doubtfire, Shaftesbury Theatre; School of Rock, Gillian Lynne Theatre) as Jacob’s mum and Wendy; and Finty Williams (The Ocean at the End of the Lane, National Tour; Run Away, Netflix) as James’ mother, Joan.

Punch runs at TRP until this Saturday (18 April). For final showtimes and ticket details see the website https://theatreroyal.com.