Alice Manning
On the heels of Halloween, I made the impulse decision to try out Danny Robins’ new thriller, 2:22: A Ghost Story. I was curious to see how this West End production would attempt to find new ways to scare viewers in the context of a world that, with all its present issues, already provides enough horrors in daily life and in the news.
Funny as well as scary, it is rare for a performance to have the audience in stitches one moment and jumping out of their seats the next – but this was exactly what happened.
Rather unexpectedly, 2:22 manages to achieve a delicate balance between the tropes of the horror genre it belongs to. Moments of light comedy that punctuate the scenes provide a degree of respite from the jump-scares the audience become accustomed to. The set up focuses on young couple Jenny – played to exactment by Lily Allen in her debut theatrical role – and Sam (Hadley Fraser) who have recently had a baby and moved house. All seems well, until Jenny reveals the unusual sounds she has been hearing late at night. The premise is familiar: Jenny is “hysterical”, and Sam doesn’t believe her. A housewarming dinner for old time friend Lauren (Julia Chan) and her new partner, and a few too many drinks provides the perfect excuse for Jenny’s beliefs to be put to the test.
Funny as well as scary, it is rare for a performance to have the audience in stitches one moment and jumping out of their seats the next – but this was exactly what happened. Jake Wood was particularly apt as Lauren’s boyfriend Ben, riffing off the mainstream scepticism of those who believe in summonings and Ouija boards for comedic effect, while maintaining the audience’s suspended belief in the supernatural forces apparently at work in the play.
Going into the theatre, my own knowledge of the genre led me to predict that the horrors of 2:22 would prove to be satirical; something related to suburban life and the challenges of moving house. I shall not comment on the accuracy of this prediction, but I can say that 2:22 is an acerbic commentary on the fallacy of rejuvenation. The clash between traditional and modern is represented in the staging; a newly purchased house that formerly belonged to an owner who retained its original 1970s décor. The new owners, Sam and Jenny, choose to strip away this original “essence” of the house. Amid its psychological themes, 2:22 also manages to make a socioeconomic critique of gentrification.
Exploring further, then, this play addresses a discord between academia and emotion, and asks whether there is a meaningful difference between the superstitions we believe in, and the things we believe to be true of other people. Jenny, for instance, reflects that she has grown to see Sam as God, having been raised Catholic in contrast to his stark atheism. She is willing to lean on the crux of her background, bringing out a crucifix in one particularly emotionally heightened scene. Such moments could appear a little too obvious – sometimes to the point of histrionics – with the humour between different classes as personified by the characters being satirised to the point of extraction. Despite this, however, the play packs plenty of punches, and proves to be a cohesive work of theatre.
While the original run has finished, 2:22 is set to imminently return to the stage with a new cast at a new venue. Beginning on 4 December at the Gielgud Theatre, the new run features Stephanie Beatriz (of Brooklyn Nine Nine fame) as Lauren, Giovanna Fletcher as Jenny, James Buckley as Ben and Elliot Cowan as Sam. I recommend booking, if you can. In a time when the comforts of home have never been more relied upon, 2:22 successfully gets the audience to confront their trust of the domestic – with plenty of thrills and laughs along the way.
2:22: A Ghost Story is playing at the Gielgud Theatre from 4 December. You can book tickets here.
Featured image courtesy of Peter Herrmann on Unsplash. Image licence found here. No changes were made to this image.
Alice Manning
Alice is an English and History graduate of the University of York. She is interested in investigating the issues that matter to contemporary society through features, current affairs pieces and reviews. Away from writing, she is a keen musician and occasional baker.