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After the Punch

After the Punch

Listen to the nine-part post-show conversation series curated by The Forgiveness Project and recorded at the Apollo Theatre, in the West End of London, UK.

These conversations explore the ripple effects of violence, the complexity of justice, and the role that storytelling, art, and community can play in imagining something better.

Thank you to our funders

The Forgiveness Project is grateful to Carol Sellars for her generous support of After the Punch.

Thank you to our funders

The Forgiveness Project is grateful to Carol Sellars for her generous support of After the Punch.

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Stepping Into the Shoes of Another

After a crime, how is it possible to embark on a journey of understanding?

Speakers: Marina Cantacuzino (Founder, The Forgiveness Project) and Sandra Barefoot (Executive Director, The Forgiveness Project) (Chair), Jo Berry (Founder, Building Bridges for Peace) and Julie Hesmondhalgh (Cast Member)

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What Makes a Man?

Masculinity, shame, and what lies beneath the surface

Speakers: Tony Hirst (Cast Member), Nico Concha (Social and Emotional Learning Practitioner, Football Beyond Borders), Dr Kenny Imafidon MBE (Entrepreneur, Author and Social Commentator) and Gethin Jones (Founder, Unlocking Potential) (Chair)

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The Story Behind Punch

On truth, adaptation, and the power of lived experience

Speakers: Jacob Dunne (Author, Right from Wrong), James Graham (Playwright, Punch), Adam Penford (Director, Punch)(Chair) and David Shields (Cast Member)

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The Process of Restorative Justice

Hearing from the real people who engaged in Restorative Justice and inspired the play

Speakers: Kate Pakenham (Producer, Punch) (Chair), David Hodgkinson (Father of James Hodgkinson), Jacob Dunne (Author, Right from Wrong), Joan Scourfield (Mother of James Hodgkinson), Nicola Fowler (Restorative Justice Practitioner for Jacob, Joan and David) and Shalisha James-Davis (Cast Member)

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Beyond the Sentence

Does a prison sentence really end when you leave prison?

Speakers: Roxanne Foster (Longford Scholar), Jimmy McGovern (Screenwriter), Andrew Morris (Longford Scholar) and Ronke Phillips (Presenter and Reporter)(Chair)

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It takes a Village to Raise a Child

What role can communities play in raising our children?

Speakers: Aika Stephenson (CEO, Just for Kids Law), Ciaran Thapar (Director of Public Affairs and Communications, Youth Endowment Fund) Desmond Skyers (Senior Mentor, St Giles Trust) and Jacob Dunne (Author, Right from Wrong)(Chair)

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Invisible Wounds

How do we understand the effect of harm passed down the generations and empower young people to live well and thrive?

Speakers: Steve Chalke (Founder, Oasis Trust), Dr Gwen Adshead (Forensic Psychotherapist), Emma Pallant (Cast Member) and Danielle Manson (Barrister)(Chair)

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Facing the People We Harm

Exploring the promise of restorative justice

Speakers: Kate Pakenham (Producer, Punch) (Chair), Julie Clark (Service Lead, Calm Mediation), Nick Dawson (Author and Ambassador, Why Me?) and Michael Palin (Actor)

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Justice Beyond the Headlines

Bridging divides to find common ground on justice

Speakers: Alastair Campbell (Writer and Broadcaster), Alice Dawnay (Co-founder, Common Ground Justice Project), Jacob Dunne (Author, Right from Wrong) and Sean Fletcher (Broadcaster at the BBC and ITV)

About After the Punch

The post-show conversation series After the Punch was curated by The Forgiveness Project and featured a variety of panellists, including Marina Cantacuzino MBE (Founder, The Forgiveness Project), Sir Michael Palin (Actor), and Dr Gwen Adshead (Forensic Psychotherapist).

For nine weeks at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End, the auditorium became a space for dialogue, bringing together cast members, people with lived experience, public figures, and frontline voices. These conversations explored the ripple effects of violence, the complexity of justice, and the role that storytelling, art, and community can play in imagining something better.

This nine-part post-show series invited audiences to explore real-life questions raised by the play Punch — written by Olivier Award-winning Nottingham playwright James Graham, based on the book Right From Wrong by Jacob Dunne, and directed by Adam Penford.

After the Punch was co-hosted by a range of charity partners from across the social justice and education sectors, addressing topics including “The Process of Restorative Justice”, “What Makes a Man?” and “The Story Behind Punch”.

This production is dedicated to James Hodgkinson and all victims of one-punch violence.

The post-show conversation series After the Punch was curated by The Forgiveness Project and featured a variety of panellists, including Marina Cantacuzino MBE (Founder, The Forgiveness Project), Sir Michael Palin (Actor), and Dr Gwen Adshead (Forensic Psychotherapist).

For nine weeks at the Apollo Theatre in London’s West End, the auditorium became a space for dialogue, bringing together cast members, people with lived experience, public figures, and frontline voices. These conversations explored the ripple effects of violence, the complexity of justice, and the role that storytelling, art, and community can play in imagining something better.

This nine-part post-show series invited audiences to explore real-life questions raised by the play Punch — written by Olivier Award-winning Nottingham playwright James Graham, based on the book Right From Wrong by Jacob Dunne, and directed by Adam Penford.

After the Punch was co-hosted by a range of charity partners from across the social justice and education sectors, addressing topics including “The Process of Restorative Justice”, “What Makes a Man?” and “The Story Behind Punch”.

This production is dedicated to James Hodgkinson and all victims of one-punch violence.