Punch adds five stops including Dublin and Glasgow to its 2027 UK and Ireland tour

The company of the 2026 production. Photo: Pamela Raith.

Five more venues have been added to the 2027 UK and Ireland tour of Punch, the award winning play by James Graham. Directed by Adam Penford, Artistic Director of Nottingham Playhouse, the tour will now visit BEAM in Hertford, the Citizens Theatre in Glasgow, the Gaiety Theatre in Dublin, the Arts Theatre in Cambridge and the Belgrade Theatre in Coventry, running from 25 January to 24 April 2027.

The Dublin dates will give the play its Irish premiere, so the tour now takes in 12 stops across England, Scotland and Ireland.

A play based on a true story

Graham's play is based on Jacob Dunne's memoir Right from Wrong. It follows Jacob, a teenager from Nottingham whose impulsive punch on a night out has fatal consequences. After serving time in prison, he is contacted by Joan and David, the parents of the young man he killed, James Hodgkinson, who ask to meet him. What follows is a powerful story of hope, forgiveness and the possibility of change.

The play premiered at Nottingham Playhouse and has since been staged at the Young Vic, in the West End and on Broadway. It won Best New Play at the 2026 Olivier Awards, the Critics' Circle Awards and The Standard Awards, and took the Theatre Prize at the Sky Arts Awards 2026.

What the director says

Penford said: “We're delighted that more audiences across the UK will have the opportunity to see Punch in 2027 and for it to premiere in Ireland. It's a story of hope, forgiveness and human connection, and we've seen from its incredible reception in the West End and on Broadway that it has the same powerful impact, wherever it goes.”

He added that the tour also means more community engagement work around the play, “ensuring that the play can continue to support the campaigning work of the real life people whose story we're telling, at a local level.”

The creative team

Penford is joined by production designer Anna Fleischle, lighting designer Robbie Butler, sound designer and composer Alexandra Faye Braithwaite, movement director Leanne Pinder and casting director Christopher Worrall CDG. Casting for the tour is still to be announced.

Tour dates for 2027

• Nottingham Playhouse, 25 January to 6 February
• Theatre Royal Bath, 9 to 13 February
• Birmingham Rep, 16 to 20 February
• Chichester Festival Theatre, 23 to 27 February
• Malvern Theatres, 2 to 6 March
• Blackpool Grand Theatre, 9 to 13 March
• Curve, Leicester, 16 to 20 March
• BEAM, Hertford, 23 to 27 March (new)
• Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, 30 March to 3 April (new)
• Gaiety Theatre, Dublin, 6 to 10 April (new)
• Arts Theatre, Cambridge, 13 to 17 April (new)
• Belgrade Theatre, Coventry, 20 to 24 April (new)

Who is in the cast?

Casting has not yet been announced. We will update this page when it is confirmed.

Is it based on real events?

Yes. It tells the true story of Jacob Dunne and of Joan and David Hodgkinson, whose son James died after being hit on a night out in Nottingham.

More to read

Read about the play’s transfer to the West End, or plan a trip with our guide to Nottingham theatre, our guide to Birmingham theatre and our guide to Glasgow theatre.