7th May A knockout punch

Sometimes its good to go along to see a play and have done a little background reading about what its about. on other occasions its good to know nothing.Last night was an occasion for the latter as I went to the playhouse in Nottingham to watch the openign nights performance of  'Punch' the new play written by Nottingham born author James Graham about 'an incident' that took place in Nottingham.

That incident turned out to be the death of James Hodgkinson, who on a night out in Nottingham following a cricket test match back in 2011was killed by a single punch thrown outside Yates's wine bar by a complete stranger, Jacob Dunne, who was subsequently jailed for manslaughter.

The stage set was based around a pedestrian subway in The Meadows in Nottingham, where Dunne grew up. Planned as a new garden city it turned out to be a congested area of alleyways, underpasses and deprivation where hope was in short supply.

The first half set the scene recalling Dunne's upbringing on the Meadows estate and his descent through bad choices and a chaotic home life into an existance  of being expelled from school, (he was diagnosed as having ADHD and being autistic), selling class B drugs, running wild in the city centre at weekends and always being ready to defend his mates in a fight.

The second half of the play dealt with the aftermath of James Hodgkinsons death after 9 days in a coma, Jacob's incarceration, his release from prison and the slow painful process of healing and ensuring that two lives were not lost as a result of a tragic mistake. One that occured via a process of restorative juctice between Dunne and James' parents Joan and David. 

It was a story about socety, about choices, about mistakes, about consequences, about loss and grief but also about second chances, about reconciliation and about finding light out of the deepest darkness. Today some 13 years after the event Jacob Dunne has a young family of his own, a 1st class degree in criminology and works alongside troubled teenagers similar to who he once was, in an attempt to help them not make the same mistakes he did.

It was a stunning play during which at times you could have heard a pin drop. One that utterly resonated with its local audience so it was not surprising that on its opening night here in Nottingham, less than a mile away from the Meadows estate, it earned a standing ovation. Outside the theatre a local set designer has also been commissioned to create a talking circle, which will be used to hold panel discussions on mental health, education and youth violence.

Before going to see the play I knew nothing about its events and I am so glad that I didn't. Since coming home last night I have been catchign up on the story including this really good article from the Guardian (see below for link) and also ordering a copy of Jacob's book 'Right from wrong' If you get the chance to see 'Punch'...do. It really was a knockout.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2022/may/14/knew-bad-as-soon-as-hit-him-man-who-killed-a-stranger-with-single-punch-then-turned-his-life-around