2:22 A Ghost Story is a thriller written by Danny Robins. It premiered at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End in August 2021, originally intended as a post-Covid stop-gap until such time as another bigger production could navigate the protocols of those days to take its place. It took London by storm, quickly gaining a reputation as one of the most talked about shows in town. It also found fame because of its quirky and high-profile castings with the likes of Lily Allen and Cheryl (Cole) taking starring roles in early productions. Having graced no fewer than five West End Theatres and rattling through a good number of mighty cast changes, it finally finds its way out into the provinces embarking upon its first UK tour.
The plot concerns an up-and-coming young couple by the name of Jenny (Fiona Wade) and Sam (George Rainsford). They have recently purchased a house in London (they must have won the lottery!) and are in the process of modernising it. Sam is an astronomer and has recently been away with work. Jenny has been home alone, caring for their newborn baby daughter and dealing with the nightmare of living in a half-renovated home. Nothing especially thrilling about the plot thus far I hear you cry! Well, it transpires that Jenny has been awoken at precisely 2:22AM on the previous four nights by the sound of ghostly footsteps and eerie voices emanating from the baby monitor. She is understandably perturbed. She has been unable to contact Sam as he has lost his phone and so as he arrives home from his business trip she tries to unpack the ghostly goings on with him. They are also hosting a dinner reunion with his old university friend Lauren (Vera Chok) and her new boyfriend Ben (Jay McGuiness). As the evening unfolds and the discussion heats up, it transpires that whilst Sam is a sceptic and a man of science, Jenny, Ben and Lauren are much more open to the possibility of other-worldly explanations. They all make a pact to stay up until 2:22AM to see if they will receive any further ghostly visitations. Cue the drinking of wine, revealing of secrets and much spookiness.
The action largely takes place in the kitchen-diner, but the set design by Anna Fleischle cleverly allows us to see the entire ground floor – it is open and airy – quite inviting. The domestic backdrop feels harmless, all but for the large red alarm clock which glows above the door, ominously ticking down to the moment of truth. I really like the design here – it feels like there are endless possibilities for ghostly goings on in this space.
In amongst this seemingly harmless domesticity, Fiona Wade is superb as Jenny, adeptly communicating the angst of a new mum who is juggling the triple threat stresses of early childcare, dinner guest diplomacy and her own sense of haunted dread given the recent nocturnal goings on. Her relationship with George Rainsford’s Sam feels truthful, strained, urgent. He in turn walks the line between caring other half and supercilious and arrogant sceptic, always dismissing her ghoulish concerns. He is essentially likeable as Sam which is no mean feat. In other hands this could be a really unpleasant character.
Jay McGuiness gives us a very earthy Ben. It takes a few beats to get used to hearing him speak with a cockney accent (given that he grew up just down the road from me in Notts) but once over that small hurdle, it is a magnificent performance. McGuiness’ Ben is real, a human with all the dimensions intact. The conversation around the table feels authentic because of what he brings, and the comedy is often driven by him. He makes Ben supremely relatable. Vera Chok is a splendid Lauren, a seemingly superficial and outspoken type who turns out to be a supportive and open-minded friend to Sam and a magnificently intense presence as the evening’s proceedings heat up and she works her way through the wine. The cast perform well together and the relationships that they portray feel very believable.
The most extraordinary thing about this production is that the real thrills come not from the jump scares (no spoilers here, but there are plenty of these along the way thanks to Ian Dickinson on Sound!) nor indeed from any overtly ghostly goings on (although again, without spoilers, there are some magnificent illusions to keep your eyes out for courtesy of Chris Fisher). The real thrills here come from the electric interactions between these four central characters. The direction from Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr is perfect. The thrills are psychological, cerebral even. The discussions (arguments) between the characters really make us think and we are taken for a merry skip through topics ranging from gentrification to the occult, religion to class warfare, and lots more besides. As for the finale? It is excellent, with a killer twist that you will not see coming, although it is absolutely there for the seeing when you look back. Quite brilliant.
In the finest of traditions, the audience are tasked with keeping the ending a secret, and I for one am delighted to do so. You’ll need to go see it for yourself to find out the explanation for the dreaded events of 2:22.
At Sheffield Lyceum until Saturday 17th February 2024.
