Play recalls Jacob Dunne's single punch which killed stranger and then led to change

A new play will focus on the story of Jacob Dunne, who killed another young man - a complete stranger - with a single punch in the city centre back in 2011. James Hodgkinson died after Jacob hit him outside what was then Yates' Bar in Old Market Square.

The case made national headline when Jacob met James' parents on his release from prison and apologised to them. Since his release, Jacob has been supported by James' parents on his quest to turn his life around and campaign for change.

Having achieved a criminology degree, these days Jacob works to help vulnerable people avoid a life of crime and violence. The new play is called Punch and based on Jacob's Right From Wrong book.

Punch is written by Nottinghamshire playwright James Graham, who has recently been awarded his second Olivier Award for Dear England. James Graham, who grew up in Mansfield, is currently one of the country's most celebrated writers, with numerous awards, BAFTA and Emmy Award nominations and an OBE.

In a Nottingham Playhouse newsletter, James states that the play is "possibly one of the most important stories I have told in the past few years".

The show will run in Nottingham for three weeks, with the final performance on Saturday, May 25.

The cast for the play includes Shalisha James-Davis, Alec Boaden, Julie Hesmondhalgh, Tony Hirst, Emma Pallant and David Shields and will be performed for the first time on Saturday, May 4, at the Nottingham Playhouse.