Video: Inside Rehearsals for Broadway-Bound PUNCH
Punch will begin performances at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre on September 9, 2025.
By: Joey Mervis Aug. 11, 2025
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Rehearsals have officially begun for Manhattan Theatre Club's American premiere of Punch, by James Graham.
"This is a real life story that means a lot to me. It was a something that happened in my local community in Nottingham, and I feel like it speaks to some really moving, important themes about forgiveness and justice. But also, we still want it to be a good night out at the theatre," explained playwright James Graham. "What is amazing is that this play is now two years old and yet, in the rehearsal room this week I was learning new things about it based on American sensibilities and new people reading it. That's the joy of theatre for me. It never stops evolving."
Punch centers around Jacob, 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 was incredibly moved when I read this script," added Cody Kostro. "I think it is really grounded in that it is super honest in the way that the individual characters had their own interpretations of the restorative justice process."
Also starring are Two-time Tony Award winner and five-time Tony nominee Victoria Clark, Piter Marek, Camila Canó-Flaviá, Will Harrison, Sam Robards, and Lucy Taylor.
Watch in this video as the whole company chats more about what audiences can expect from Punch.
