Nottingham Theatre Royal – until Saturday 11 May 2024
Reviewed by Amy V Gathercole
4****
“2.22 A Ghost Story masterfully balances suspense, humour, and mystery with a few jump scares—see it, but don’t spoil it!”
When you leave a play swapping voice notes back and forth with people you know who have seen it previously and your mind won’t stop reminding you of elements of what you’ve just seen, as it poses questions, you know you have just enjoyed a great show. I picked it apart and looked for clues long after leaving the theatre.
I deliberately avoided knowing much about 2.22 A Ghost Story before seeing it. Other than being aware that it has been a smash hit in London and that it has featured many different casts in the West End, including Lily Allen, Tom Felton, and Cheryl Cole, to name a couple of actors, I didn’t know much about it.
This UK touring cast includes a few household names, too. Sam (George Rainsford) and Jenny (Fiona Wade) are a couple like many others with a newborn. They’ve pretty much dropped off the face of the earth while adjusting to their new family life and are finally in a place to host dinner parties, drink wine, and reconnect with old friends in their in-progress renovation.
Having recently moved into and started renovating their new house, Jenny and Sam invite Sam’s university friend Lauren (Vera Chok) and her new partner, Ben (Jay McGuiness), over for the evening. Jenny has recently experienced some abnormal activity in her home and is desperate for someone else to witness this potential ghostly activity.
Lauren is Sam’s long-time friend from their university days and is full of anecdotes of their times together, much to Ben and Jenny’s annoyance. Her new fella Ben isn’t quite Sam’s cup of tea as he’s a local cockney lad, and Sam’s rather posh and clearly doesn’t feel Ben’s good enough for Lauren. Sam’s a know-it-all and hates to be proven wrong, but he goes to great lengths to avoid it. He also has quite the superiority complex.
Jenny is nervous, unsettled, and unsure of what’s going on in her own house! Sam is determined to dismiss Jenny’s supernatural thoughts, and it turns out that Ben is a bit of a believer… Meanwhile, Lauren is drowning her sorrows and contemplating her life’s choices. It’s a crazy combination of company and circumstance.
She spends the majority of the evening attempting to convince her oh-so-scientific husband that not everything can be argued away or rationalised with logic. This is a dinner party where a few secrets will be spilled, clues investigated, and truths shared.
Naturally, Jenny insists that everyone stay, drink, and chat until 2.22 a.m. – the time when disturbances have occurred for the last few evenings. A whole mix of elements is thrown into the pot, which makes for an exciting and explosive final act. The entertaining interplay between this very different foursome – Sam, Jenny, Lauren, and Ben—creates tension and intrigue and their contrasting personalities and relationships contribute to the overall suspense.
The tight writing from Danny Robins (best known for his work on some very famous paranormal podcasts) is smart and slick. It cleverly poses questions to the audience and his characters on the stage: Do you believe in the supernatural? Are ghosts real?
As a country, we’ve always been interested in telling and sharing ghost stories, and this modern and contemporary show is a wonderful and fresh addition to the list of the likes of The Woman in Black and Phantom of the Opera. 2.22 A Ghost Story joins this list as it masterfully balances suspense, humour, and mystery with a few jump scares thrown in.
At first glance, the set seems pretty practical and simple, but it has some hidden secrets to reveal as the events of the evening and the show unfold. The design from Olivier and Tony award winner Anna Fleischle compliments Lucy Carter’s impressive and, at times, startling lighting design and Ian Dickson’s memorable sound design.
Not much is as it seems in this frightening and fun thriller. Some complex relationships are at play, and you’re never quite sure who to trust, which is delightful. Just remember, once you learn the secrets, don’t spoil them for anyone!