Earlier reviews had promised 2:22 A Ghost Story was going to be a “spine-tingling night out” and it truly is. And even though I was hoping for a bit more than a “tingle”, the play heavily leans on the humanity of the story – and I should add, the talent of the cast, and that’s where it really triumphs. It’s about much more than ghosts. It explores people’s responses to grief, their beliefs and how those sentiments affect their relationships with others.
We open with Jenny (Laura Whitmore) experiencing paranormal activities for the first time – prepare yourself for a jump-scare from the get-go! In the recently refurbished flat she shares with her husband Sam (Felix Scott), at precisely 2:22 in the morning something inexplicable happens. The next morning, it’s as if nothing even happened.
The couple are having Sam’s university friend, Lauren (Tamsin Carroll), and her boyfriend Ben (Matt Willis) over for dinner. A few witty remarks and one too many wine glasses later, conflict starts: Lauren is clearly still in love with Sam, Sam doesn’t like Ben for his “non-science based” beliefs, Jenny is on the edge about leaving their baby in the room where she swears, she’s heard a ghost… And although the question dividing them on the surface is “are ghosts real or not on the surface, there’s so much more keeping these characters in a constant tug of war where everyone switches places continuously.
The way in which Danny Robins plays with tensions in the script is remarkable. And I use the word “tensions” in the plural because he blends different types and levels of tension throughout the story. We have the rivalry between those who believe in the paranormal and those who don’t, paired with disquieting music and sound effects. We have the human-level animosity caused by personality clashes and feelings from the past, paired with the sympathy for the previous owners of the flat and the possibility of this unknown ghost being mad that they’re literally ripping the memories off the walls. Act Two makes use of commonplace elements of the genre, such as candles, objects catching fire and moving tables, to build up to the climax of the story; and let’s not forget the big red flashing clock on stage counting down to 2:22. All those elements combined will keep you at the edge of your seat, forgetting to breathe. And somehow, with all that at play, Robins still manages to incorporate comedy into the script, frequently through Ben and his very relatable reactions. Matt Willis is effortlessly funny, expanding the range of the play.
The entire new cast are fantastic, with flawless delivery through and through. There are, however, a couple of plot holes I’m still trying to fill (maybe a second visit is needed?). We get no hints to the twist in the end throughout the story, and the narrative would possibly benefit from throwing some baits at the audience to encourage that feeling of a solved puzzle. And some “decorative” dramaturgy, like the random spooky noises they use for scene transitions, also don’t add much besides getting our hearts racing. So don’t go expecting many jump scares, it turns out the story is much more personal than you could predict and by the end, you’re more invested in the characters and their state-of-mind than any possible ghosts haunting the theatre. That’s how well the script ties in the thrill of the paranormal, with the thrill of watching these four very relatable characters discovering harsh truths about themselves and each other together.
{🎟 AD – PR invite – Tickets were gifted in exchange for an honest review}
2 Star Review 3 Star Review 4 Star Review 5 Star Review 2022 2023 Adaptation Almeida Cabaret Camden Fringe Cast Announcement Christmas Comedy Dance Drag Edinburgh Fringe Edinburgh Fringe Interviews Fringe Immersive Interviews Jukebox Musical LGBTQIA+ Lyric Hammersmith Manchester Musical New Musical News New Wimbledon Theatre North West Off West End Park Theatre Play Review Revival Richmond Theatre Round Up Royal Court Theatre Shakespeare Show Announcement Show Recommendations Soho Theatre Southwark Playhouse Touring Production VAULT Festival West End
- A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
The infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays Scrooge. Before the show, half a bottle of Jim Beam, some wine, and beer have been consumed in the previous 4 hours. The rest of the cast, try to keep the show on track, also aided by James Murfitt as the compere, Charles Dickens. The … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE - A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
Spine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, containing stacks of metal cabinets towering over the theatre, moveable by the cast to allow space for other central props like doors, beds and tables. In addition to this, the puppetry design by Matthew Forbes is incredibly clever, adding creepy elements to the show such … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE - A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much affable, satirical back-and-forth commentary on the accepted myths & stereotypes of the Russian spirit & soul. Beset by the indignities of age, opportunism, graft, fatigue, the characters orbit one another, doomed to play out their roles in an unjust, predatory and saturnine universe. The play opens … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503 - PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
Peter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by the fictitious Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society and goes awry, disastrously so. The meta-comedy is filled with slapstick comedy, sometimes the humour may be predictable and silly, but it’s universally funny throughout – there is something for everyone here, and the laughs come thick and fast … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE - GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
Drawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more lightweight, with conventional structures, predictable plot twists and an over-reliance on external forces to drive narrative shoring up some of the less relatable aspects of the genre. Nicola Werenowska’s The Beach House, perhaps the cleanest of the three tales, tells of a mother and daughter’s … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
- A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUAREThe infamous Sh!t Faced Showtime are back in London with a festive edition, they have taken Dickens’ classic and put a drunken spin on it. The formula is the same as other iterations of the Shi!t Faced shows, one member of the cast has been boozing, and this time it is John Milton who plays … More A PISSEDMAS CAROL – REVIEW – LEICESTER SQUARE
- A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACESpine-tingling yet heart-warming, Mark Gatiss’s retelling of A Christmas Carol truly encapsulates the haunting atmosphere of a Victorian ghost story, balanced out with enough humour so as to capture the festive season. Led by Keith Allen as Scrooge, with Peter Forbes as Marley, this show is perfect for Christmas viewing. The set design by Paul Wills is instantly captivating, … More A CHRISTMAS CAROL – REVIEW – ALEXANDRA PALACE
- A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503The title of this winner of Theatre 503’s 2023 International Playwriting Award by Roxy Cook may seem like the set-up to a joke, but the narrative that unspools is instead an affectionate, gently barbed and at base quite sobering portrait of three ordinary souls (and one restless feline) adrift in modern Moscow. There is much … More A WOMAN WALKS INTO A BANK – REVIEW – THEATRE503
- PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATREPeter Pan Goes Wrong first premiered in London at the Pleasance Theatre in 2013, and earlier this year the show made its Broadway debut. Now the production is back in the West End for the Christmas season. Following on from The Play That Goes Wrong, in this production, J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan is staged by … More PETER PAN GOES WRONG – REVIEW – LYRIC THEATRE
- GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSEDrawing heavily from the classic canon of the British supernatural, HighTide’s trio of contemporary Gothic narratives uses traditional storytelling formats to address contemporary themes. Directed by Elayce Ismail, reverent musical interludes accompany tales of apparitions and nighttime conjurings that speak of women from the East of England. Unfortunately, the effect is less chilling and more … More GHOST STORIES BY CANDLELIGHT – REVIEW – SAM WANAMAKER PLAYHOUSE
*Potential spoilers!*
I saw it back in December, so my memory isn’t completely clear but I’m sure there were some clues along the way, cause they kept randomly popping into my head on the way home. Things like Alexa never answering him or the fact he never picks up his cup when they’re playing the drinking game.
A second visit is definitely needed. I saw the original cast at the Noël Coward Theatre last year and was absolutely oblivious. When I saw it a second time earlier this year at the Criterion, I wondered how I could have been this blind during my first visit. It is absolutely a play that reveals even more details on the second visit and I loved to experience it completely different the second time around (though the first time was much much better cast- and delivery wise).