PUNCH
American Premiere
Punch
Written by James Graham
Based on the book Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunne
Featuring Camila Canó-Flaviá, Will Harrison, Sam Robards, Lucy Taylor, and more to be announced
Directed by Adam Penford
Presented in association with Nottingham Playhouse
Previews begin September 9, 2025
Opening Night September 29, 2025
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47th Street
Manhattan Theatre Club (MTC)—Lynne Meadow, Artistic Director, and Chris Jennings, Executive Director—is pleased to announce the Broadway premiere of the critically acclaimed new play Punch at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street),
Two-time Olivier Award winner James Graham (Labour of Love, Dear England; TV: “Sherwood”) returns to MTC, where his Olivier-nominated play Ink received six Tony Award nominations in 2019, including Best Play. Punch, based on the book Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunne, earned ecstatic five-star reviews when it premiered last year at the Nottingham Playhouse in the UK, in a production directed by Adam Penford. It has been hailed as “James Graham’s most moving work yet,” by The Times, “a story that needs to be told” by The Independent and “another state-of-the-nation masterpiece from James Graham” by The Telegraph.
In Punch, Jacob (Will Harrison – Film: A Complete Unknown; TV: “Daisy Jones & The Six,” “Manhunt”– making his Broadway debut) is a young man who makes a fatal mistake that lands him in prison. But as he struggles to accept the consequences of his actions and build a new life, he finds an unusual source of salvation: the parents of the boy he killed. The cast will also feature Camila Canó-Flaviá (Broadway: Network, Patriots), Sam Robards (Film: A.I.: Artificial Intelligence, American Beauty; Broadway: The 39 Steps, MTC’s Absurd Person Singular), and Lucy Taylor (Broadway: Betrayal), with more to be announced.
In a rare occurrence, Punch will play simultaneously on Broadway and in London’s West End this fall. MTC’s Broadway production will start previews on Tuesday, September 9 and open Monday, September 29 at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre (261 West 47th Street), just as the London production begins performances at the Apollo Theatre in the West End. Both productions are directed by Adam Penford, who returns to Broadway, having previously been the Associate Director on the Tony Award-winning One Man, Two Guvnors. Punch is presented in association with Nottingham Playhouse, where Penford serves as Artistic Director.