After five different productions in London over the past few years, Danny Robins’ gripping 2:22 A Ghost Story now boasts a brand new cast and is embarking on a fresh tour of the UK, where it will no doubt cement its already very firm reputation as being one of the most popular plays of the century so far. This was the second time we had seen the show; the first time, at London’s Criterion Theatre earned it five stars from me and a very respectable 4th place in the Chrisparkle Awards for Best New Play in 2022. And I’m delighted to say the show is looking healthier than ever!
The set-up is deceptively simple. New mother Jenny is decorating the ramshackle old house that she has bought with husband Sam, with one eye on her painting skills and one ear on the baby alarm. Why she’s still working away at gone 2am heaven only knows, surely looking after a baby would have left her exhausted hours earlier, but we’ll let that pass. It’s 2:22 am when she finally clocks off work – and, believe me gentle reader, you won’t forget that time in a hurry. Jenny becomes more and more convinced that her new house is haunted, much to Sam’s cynicism and ridicule. But when they have a dinner party for Sam’s old friend Lauren and her new boyfriend Ben, things start to get a little out of hand. Are there really ghosts in the house? They decide to stay up till 2:22 to see what happens… and I’m not going to give you any further details, you’ll have to come and see the show for yourself!
Anna Fleischle’s intriguing set, dominated by that inexorably ticking clock, tells a story of its own about a half-modernised house; brand spanking new kitchen at one side, dilapidated old gas heater at the other, layers of old wallpaper clinging to the part-rendered walls, evidence of damp issues but with a beautiful original glazed door that you can just guess Jenny and Sam always intended to keep. Lucy Carter’s unsettling lighting fades in and out of eerie moods, punctuated by the brilliant flashing red of horror, and a frankly terrifying sound design by Ian Dickinson contributes towards making it an impressive technical production.
It’s a beautifully written play by Danny Robins with four strong and incredibly well drawn characters, so there’s plenty for the talented cast to get their teeth into. There’s Jenny, decent, respectable and a new mum, whose prime motivation is to keep her child as safe as possible, and that’s not easy if your house is haunted. There’s Sam, her pompous husband, who loves the sound of his own voice and has snobbish disregard for anyone who doesn’t enjoy hearing it. There’s Lauren, Sam’s university friend who may or may not have been more than a friend, a psychiatrist with enough demons of her own to conquer, and there’s Ben, her younger boyfriend, a streetwise builder from the other side of the tracks, who remembers the houses from the good old days and has harsh observations on the yuppies coming in and eradicating the local history with their structural modernisations.
There are momentary glimpses of difficult relationships between the four people – suggestions of domestic violence, barely stifled revenge, and disappointment in love – but as soon as a suspicion has been planted in your mind, the play moves on and you lose the chance to pin your thoughts down. There are also fascinating discussions about why ghosts can’t exist – and why they can. But what really impresses me about Mr Robins’ sharp and clever text is how it is so totally honest with the audience. If you’re trying to work out the secret of what you’re seeing, all the clues are provided, but if you get there before the final curtain then you’ve done remarkably well. If you choose to just revel in its wonderfully spooky and atmospheric web, like a terrified spider, that works too. In fact, you’ll find the final revelation even more of a surprise; and kick yourself for not seeing through Mr Robins’ terrific veil of deceit.
The cast of four are all excellent and create an entertaining ensemble who not only milk the atmosphere for all its worth but also nail the laughs that emerge uneasily from the crisis. Fiona Wade’s Jenny tries her best to take everything in her stride, but the culmination of events and problems become too much and she gives a great portrayal of someone losing her grip on everything she felt secure about. Her relationship with George Rainsford’s Sam is clearly loving but his excesses can push her away, and Mr Rainsford is excellent at showing his character’s irritating, smug side whilst still maintaining the façade of bonhomie. Vera Chok plays Lauren with high energy volatility, and you never know when the combination of wine (which includes regularly drinking everyone else’s dregs) and jealousy will make them snap. Jay McGuinness’s Ben is a nicely understated wide boy attuned to his spiritualism and at odds with the company he keeps. Just be careful if you call him mate.
This production will happily keep audiences enthralled, entertained and occasionally terrified for the first half of the year as the tour continues to Birmingham, Cardiff, High Wycombe, Chichester, Sheffield, Wolverhampton, Aberdeen, Cambridge, Bromley, Richmond, Liverpool, Woking, Truro, Blackpool, York, Nottingham, Hull, Sunderland, Bradford and finishing up in Salford in June. Well crafted, well acted and well staged; an exciting night of suspense and fear!
Production photos by Johan Persson
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