Manhattan Theatre Club names initial productions in 2025-26 season
The nonprofit theatre company has named two Broadway productions and two Off-Broadway productions from award-winning playwrights, with more to be announced.
Manhattan Theatre Club has named four productions in its 2025-26 season, including a critically acclaimed play coming to Broadway from London, two world-premiere plays from acclaimed writers, and a reimagined version of a play by a Pulitzer-winning writer.
In fall 2025, MTC will present Punch at its Broadway venue, the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. Written by Olivier Award winner James Graham (Ink, Dear England) and directed by Adam Penford, the play follows a teenager named Jacob, whose life of drugs, girls, and bar fights gets upended when he ends up killing a young boy. He seeks redemption from the boys' parents and starts on a course to turn his life around.
Punch is based on the book Right from Wrong by Jacob Dunne and had two critically acclaimed runs in England.
On Broadway in spring 2026, also at the Friedman, is the world premiere of The Balusters by Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award winner David Lindsay-Abaire (Rabbit Hole, Kimberly Akimbo). The show centers on the Vernon Point Neighborhood Association, a small-town community passionate about the smallest of issues. Tensions erupt when someone suggests the unthinkable: installing a stop sign on the neighborhood's prettiest block. Tony Award winner Kenny Leon directs.
Off Broadway, MTC's season will begin with a new version of Queens by Pulitzer winner Martyna Majok (Cost of Living). Directed by Trip Cullman, the show takes place among a community of immigrant women living in an illegal basement apartment in Queens. Their world is shaken with the arrival of a young Ukrainian woman looking for the mother who abandoned her years before.
In winter 2026 is the world premiere of The Monsters, written and directed by Ngozi Anyanwu. The play follows a girl named LIL, who is obsessed with her older brother BIG's career as a mixed martial arts fighter. One day, she shows up at his door after only watching him from afar, and the two grapple with reconnection and resentment.
The Monsters is a co-production with Two River Theater. Performances of The Monsters and Queens will take place at MTC's Off-Broadway performance space in New York City Center.
Additional cast and creative team members for these productions, as well as additional productions in MTC's 2025-26 season, have yet to be announced.
Photo credit: Punch in London. (Photo by Marc Brenner)
Frequently asked questions
How do you book tickets for Punch?
Book tickets for Punch on New York Theatre Guide.
Where is Punch playing?
Punch is playing at Samuel J. Friedman Theatre. The theatre is located at 261 West 47th Street, New York, 10036.
What's the age requirement for Punch?
The recommended age for Punch is Ages 13+. Children under 4 are not permitted in the theatre..
How long is Punch?
The running time of Punch is 2hr 30min. Incl. 1 intermission.
What is Punch about?
Punch is based on a real story of a man who killed a teenager with a single blow, leading him to prison but also the chance at salvation after meeting with the dead boy's parents.
Who wrote Punch?
Olivier Award winner James Graham wrote this story, based on a memoir.
Who directs Punch?
Adam Penford, who is artistic director at a theater in the community, Nottingham, impacted by the story, stages this show.
Is Punch appropriate for kids?
Punch has strong themes like death and violence so it is recommended for audiences ages 12+.
Is Punch good?
Press was glowing, with the Times of London writing, "This Nottinghamshire-born playwright has never been more moving and rarely been more adroit than he is here as he adapts Nottingham man Jacob Dunne’s memoir. I’m not sure I’ve ever heard more stifled sobs in an audience."
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