Punch – 04 October 2025

Based on actual events, Punch is a story of character arcs and personal growth after an unintended single punch kills a young man, leaving behind a 19 year old perpetrator and both of the victims’ parents to find their way in a forever-altered world. Sound (Alexandra Faye Braithwaite) pulsates through the room throughout, underscoring the changing rhythms of the characters’ lives and infusing the story with a captivating energy that keeps the audience engaged and on the edge of their seats. The stark set (Anna Fleischle) easily represents everywhere and nowhere, and the Greek chorus style cast does the same— creating spaces where the world feels full of people and full of life, but also spaces where the world feels restricted to only a few people in high intensity moments. These concepts were heavily supported by Robbie Butler’s innovative and creative lighting design, rigged in a circle above the semi circle set (Anna Fleischle), portraying everything from fireworks to the illusion of moving buildings without projection/video design.

Punch is a must see in today’s world of normalized dehumanization. It takes the journey of one murderer turned activist and shows us the power of redemption without once disrespecting the victim or the victim’s family. Actually, the victim’s parents, Joan (Victoria) and David (Sam Robards) get a lot of stage time as they process their anger and pain. They rightfully point out that there seems to be no systemic justice for them as victims, and ultimately seek restorative justice through contacting the perpetrator, Jacob (Will Harrison). This contact not only turns into a fruitful collaboration to raise awareness about how one punch can lead to manslaughter/murder, but also saves Jacob’s life by giving him a purpose and the support he needs to take a path that involves a degree in criminology instead of becoming a statistic in the revolving door of criminal sentencing and incarceration. 

Jacob narrates most of the story, and even in the beginning when he tells the story of what happened that night, Will Harrison makes him instantly likable and relatable. Jacob has a specific set of mannerisms that Harrison keeps consistent throughout. Jacob’s struggle to put words together to describe how little sense his experience makes to him is deeply powerful and deeply humanizing. The thoughtfulness Harrison brings to this role is truly commendable. Equally commendable is the work of Victoria Clark. Watching her character think on stage and react in real time is truly remarkable. She brings a thoughtful depth and complexity to Joan that is a good foil for Will Harrison’s Jacob. From the beginning, Joan approaches the world from a place of love and Jacob approaches it from a place of anger. By the end, they have met in the middle, each infused with a little of the other as they share a stage and a mission to educate the world— channeling love and anger into change.

The pacing of Punch, driven by sound and lighting, makes this experience truly unique, and helps build the intensity in a way that is one of a kind. Jacob’s memories feel like vivid flashbacks even though we are hearing and not seeing them. The way audio is filtered reflects Jacob’s confusion and adds to the cinematic texture that pervades the play. Punch is more than a play, it is an experience. It is a plea for us to think about each other’s humanity, even those who do terrible, irreversible, violent things. It is a wake up call that knocks us out of the park with its message: it’s never too late to be better.

I attended this performance on a press pass from The Press Room.