‘PUNCH’: (left to right) Sam Robards, Victoria Clark, Camilla Canó-Flaviá & Will Harrison. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

PUNCH
By James Graham
Based on the book Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunne
Directed by Adam Penford
Through November 2, 2025
Manhattan Theatre Club
Samuel J. Friedman Theatre
261 West 47^th Street
https://www.manhattantheatreclub.com/shows/2025-26-season/punch/

By Scott Harrah

Punch is an intense drama based on the true story of Jacob Dunne (Will Harrison), a British man who killed another with one single punch. The play is also based on Mr. Dunne’s autobiographical book Right from Wrong, telling how a moment of violence in a small English town changed his life forever.

The crime

The play opens as Jacob, a 19-year-old working-class guy, stands on a bridge over the River Trent in Nottingham, U.K. Jacob lives for drugs, parties and violence. He gets into a fight with James Hodgkinson, a 28-year-old trainee paramedic. The audience never actually sees the victim. A single punch kills James, and Jacob’s world is immediately shattered.

After a trial, Jacob is convicted of manslaughter and goes to prison. In a strange twist, he is offered a chance to participate in a “restorative justice” program. He is asked to meet with James Hodgkinson’s parents, Joan (Victoria Clark) and David (Sam Robards). This is an attempt to give Jacob a sense of mercy and rehabilitation while helping the victim’s parents heal emotionally.

Restorative justice

The second act chronicles Jacob’s journey through the restorative justice program. He first starts writing letters to the victim’s parents and eventually has an in-person meeting with them. With the help of caseworker Nicola (Camila Canó-Flaviá), Jacob must come to terms with the gravity and scale of his crime. In the process, Joan and David learn more about the details of the night their son was killed, allowing them to move past the trauma and have a sense of closure.

Does the message work for U.S. audiences?

Considering that Punch is a British play, the idea of restorative justice might work across the pond. However, in 2025 America, the concept on the surface seems too idealistic in our divided nation, one in which mass school shootings and political violence are so common that many feel inured by the news about them. Or could the concept work here? Many believe in reform for the criminal justice system in the U.S. due to a high incarceration rate, overcrowded jails and the need for decriminalization of misdemeanors. So, restorative justice is a concept that has both pros and cons, depending on one’s political views.

Razor-sharp direction of fine ensemble

Director Adam Penford does an outstanding job directing the fine ensemble. With unique staging—including a metal bridge—and great sound design, this production conveys the requisite sense of violence and danger in this dark setting.

Will Harrison as Jacob is consistently brilliant. He is the narrator, tortured protagonist and vulnerable all at once, and has the unique ability to make us feel true empathy for a not-so-likeable character.

Equally noteworthy is Victoria Clark as Joan, the victim’s mother. She never comes across as mawkish or saccharine, and conveys a true sense of wanting to forgive the man who killed her son. Sam Robards is also sublime as the husband and grieving father, frustrated by the whole bleak situation.

The ensemble cast members often take on multiple roles, and do so with deft precision.

Punch is an incisive drama packed with emotion and a sobering, thought-provoking message about crime, punishment and the criminal justice system in both the U.K. and USA.

Published October 9, 2025
Reviewed at press performance on October 4, 2025

‘PUNCH’: Cody Kostro & Will Harrison. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘PUNCH’: Victoria Clark and Sam Robards. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

‘PUNCH’: James Harrison. Photo: Matthew Murphy.

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‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: Victoria Clark & Justin Cooley. Photo: Joan Marcus.

KIMBERLY AKIMBO
Book & lyrics by David Lindsay-Abaire
Music by Jeanine Tesori
Directed by Jessica Stone
Booth Theatre
222 West 45th Street.
(212-239-6200), www.KimberlyAkimboTheMusical.com

By David NouNou

I had no idea that Kimberly Akimbo the musical was originally a 2001 play of the same name. I only knew the musical opened in 2021 Off-Broadway and was a huge success—and has now transferred to Broadway. As I was watching the show, I was mesmerized by David Lindsay-Abaire’s book and how compelling the storyline was, and thinking to myself of how the score was getting in the way of the script. When a book is so strong, the score becomes superfluous. I realize now that, in modern-day musicals, the score doesn’t propel the storyline forward as in yesteryear’s musicals, but the score now describes the characters and who and what they are. It’s the characters words with the music twisted around them that forms the score. This often makes most 21^st century scores unmemorable.

Back to the script, set in New Jersey in 1999.  It’s about a lonely 16-year-old high school girl, Kim (Victoria Clark) who suffers from a condition that causes her to age four times faster, which makes her look like 64. She is befriended by an anagram genius, Seth (Justin Cooley) who wants to work with Kimberly on the science project about her condition so that they can present to the class together.

There are also other teenagers that are fraught with their teenage angst and who wants to work with whom on various school projects. They are presented as real normal kids with their frailties but trying to figure things out for themselves. It’s the adults that are horrid with their repellent behaviors and attitudes.

Kim’s father, Buddy (Steven Boyer), is an alcoholic who is mostly repelled by her, and her mother, Patti (Alli Mauzey) is pregnant again, and hopes the second child doesn’t turn out like Kim, so she gets pregnant by a neighbor. Add to the mix, Patti’s sister, Aunt Debra (Bonnie Mulligan), who is a con artist and a convicted felon. Her aunt is ultimately Kimberly’s friend and helps Kim follow her dreams and her right to enjoy her life despite her handicap.

If you’ve seen Mr. Lindsay-Abaire’s Rabbit Hole and Good People, you have an idea of what a genius he is with words and setting up a play and Kimberly Akimbo is no exception. There are so many layers to this beautifully textured show, it has to be seen and relished. His handling of Kim and Seth is both beautiful and touching. It is nothing like the perverse Harold and Maude. That’s thanks in large part to Victoria Clark.

Although a veteran of many Broadway shows, with the part of Kim, this establishes Victoria Clark as a contender in the theatre. Her dazzling performance is sublime. You can see her as 16 when she is giddily happy and 64 when she is down. Don’t ever count her out because she makes Kimberly a winner all the way because she lives on hope.

Her counterpart, Seth (Justin Cooley), making an impressionable Broadway debut is so charming and uplifting; there is nothing creepy about their relationship but genuine love of two lost teenage souls who see each other’s beauty.

Just as she stole the show in the ill-fated, short-lived musical Head Over Heels, once you get to know Debra, you’ve got to love Bonnie Milligan. Her quirkiness makes her lovable and you forgive her inequities.

The tough pills to swallow are Buddy and Patti—not the fault of Steven Boyer and Alli Mauzey, both of whom give their all. As characters, they are just vile.

Director Jessica Stone brings sensibility to all the proceedings, especially when dealing with the teenagers, but her main focus always centers around Kim and Seth and Aunt Debra. From a personal observation, at our performance there were a lot of older teenagers who were really into the show, and it is always a thrill to see younger audiences being absorbed by what’s going on stage and not what’s on their smartphones. Kudos to all the teenagers who will discover Kimberly Akimbo when they come and see the show.

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published November 16, 2022
Reviewed at November 15, 2022 press performance.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’ (left to right): Michael Iskander, Justin Cooley, Victoria Clark, Nina White, Olivia Hardy & Fernell Hogan. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’ (left to right): Nina White, Michael Iskander, Fernell Hogan & Olivia Hardy. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’ (left to right): Victoria Clark, Justin Cooley & Steven Boyer. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: Victoria Clark & Justin Cooley. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: (left to right): Victoria Clark, Justin Cooley, Michael Iskander, Olivia Hardy, Nina White & Fernell Hogan.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: The cast. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: (left to right): Alli Mauzey, Victoria Clark & Steven Boyer. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: Victoria Clark & Alli Mauzey. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: Alli Mauzey. Photo: Joan Marcus.

‘KIMBERLY AKIMBO’: Bonnie Milligan. Photo: Joan Marcus.

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DISNEY STAR TAKES BROADWAY: Vanessa Hudgens in ‘Gigi.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

GIGI
Book & lyrics by Alan J. Lerner
Music by Frederick Loewe
Adapted by Heidi Thomas
Based on a novel by Colette
Choreographed by Joshua Bergasse
Directed by Eric Schaeffer
Neil Simon Theatre
250 West 42nd Street
(877-250-2929), http://www.GigiOnBroadway.com

By David NouNou

Gigi came alive as a charming novella by Colette, set in Paris around 1900, about a young girl being trained to be a courtesan. A thin story that was turned into a play in 1951 with an unknown Audrey Hepburn as Gigi, and due to the phenomenal success of Lerner and Loewe’s My Fair Lady, M.G.M. commissioned them to write the book and the score to the magnificent and illustrious 1958 movie that won nine well-deserved Oscars, including one for Best Picture, and one for the brilliant direction by Vincent Minnelli. And what a superb movie that was. Then, in 1973, Alan Jay Lerner took it upon himself to do a stage adaption of this once brilliant and delightful movie and turned it into a vapid and disastrous musical flop. Dear readers, I think you know where I am going with this.

Life has been hard on Gigi, and the poor girl hasn’t aged well; not because she was training to be a courtesan, but due to the ill treatment she has gotten in her various incarnations from the hands of the creative teams that have taken it upon themselves to mangle her story. Alan Jay Lerner wounded her in 1973, but Heidi Thomas’ new adaptation has murdered her. This was once a charming lightweight story of a young girl being raised by her grandmother and tutored by her great aunt to get the best things that life and men could offer her. After all, this was Paris, and one didn’t have to worry about puritanical ideas or the politically correct and non-offensive ideologies that this current version proffers.

In this sanitized version, Gigi is a strong-minded girl who learns how to pour coffee into a cup without spilling a drop; she loves to read the gossip columns and doesn’t understand the Parisians in why they always want to make love. Here she isn’t really being trained for anything useful, not even being a good courtesan.

What was once a score that was sheer perfection, and written especially for that particular character, has now been distributed randomly for the sake of avoiding the audience any queasiness. The innocent opening number “Thank Heaven For Little Girls,” which was so charmingly sung by Honore Lachaille/Maurice Chevalier, praising young girls “growing up in the most delightful way,” has been given to Mamita (Victoria Clark), Gigi’s grandmama and Aunt Alicia (Dee Hoty), which makes no sense at all. “The Night They Invented Champagne” is now a full, tacky, tasteless production number; and one of the most expressive solo songs, “I’m Glad I’m Not Young Anymore,” which was Honores’ swan song, is now a love duet with him (Howard McGillin) and Mamita. And the missteps keep piling up. Eric Schaeffer, who in 2011 directed the best revival of Stephen Sondheim’s Follies ever, is totally at a loss here. There is no real justification or motive for what any of the characters are doing, saying or singing.

I can’t really fault any of the performances, for they were given a script to act and do what they were told. Vanessa Hudgens as Gigi starts out too all-American and perky, vestiges of her Disney days still intact, but settles in nicely in Act II. Victoria Clark’s Mamita as usual delivers the goods no matter what she is given. Corey Cott as Gaston, Gigi’s love interest, is in good voice but comes across more as a rich kid than a debonair, bored leading man. Dee Hoty is too shrill as Aunt Alicia and seems more of a caricature than a worldly woman of the world. Howard McGillin as Honore Lachaille has been stripped of any charm the character once possessed.

Poor Gigi, she has not aged in a most delightful way, and the champagne has turned to vinegar. Ending on a positive note, Catherine Zuber’s costumes are beautiful.

GAY PAREE: (left to right) Corey Cott, Vanessa Hudgens, Victoria Clark & ensemble. Photo: Joan Marcus

LA BELLE FRANCE: The ensemble of the Broadway revival ‘Gigi.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

UPDATED ‘GIGI’ MISSES THE MARK: Steffanie Leigh, Howard McGillin, Victoria Clark, Vanessa Hudgens, Corey Cott, Dee Hoty & ensemble. Photo: Joan Marcus

GIGI & GENTLEMAN: Vanessa Hudgens & Corey Cott. Photo: Joan Marcus

STEFFANIE LEIGH: As Liane d’Exelmans, dancing with ensemble in ‘Gigi.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

COLORFUL BUT MISGUIDED: A scene from ‘Gigi.’ Photo: Joan Marcus

SANITIZED ‘GIGI’ REVIVAL (left to right): Victoria Clark, Corey Cott & Vanessa Hudgens. Photo: Joan Marcus

Edited by Scott Harrah
Published April 15, 2015
Reviewed at press performance on April 14, 2015

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