Notes on a Script: James Graham Unpacks the World of PUNCH

What goes into crafting the words that make up our favorite Broadway shows? How do Broadway playwrights and book writers make our favorite characters shine and our favorite scenes come alive? BroadwayWorld is finding out with Notes on a Script.

In James Graham's new play, Punch, Jacob 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. 

"I don't often try to explicitly presume to enforce a feeling that I want the audience to take away. I think the best plays just ask questions and let the audience answer themselves," explained Graham. "But there's no doubt that for me, an awareness and an enthusiasm for a different kind of justice system, both in the UK and in the US, that doesn't just center punishment and jail, prison time at [this play's] core.  

"What's so incredible about this story is that it's an amazing example of how forgiveness can exist at the heart of our justice system and it works. Jacob, the character in the story, would have absolutely gone into a re-offending cycle, where he kept doing crime and going back to prison... and who does that help? What's extraordinary is that the kindness and forgiveness of the people he hurt saved him."

In this video, watch as Graham breaks down his words in the newest episode of BroadwayWorld's Notes on a Script and learn even more about his new play!

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