REVIEW: 2:22 A Ghost Story

By Gary Murray, volunteer theatre reviewer

With several successful West End seasons and tours, 2:22 A Ghost Story has become a worldwide phenomenon, responsible for the West End debuts of stars such as Lily Allen, Cheryl and Stacey Dooley. It arrived in Eastbourne last night and plays until Saturday.

Sam and Jenny have been renovating. Their street is one of those in an area which has become gentrified. The sort of high street that has five coffee shops and no butchers, that sort of thing.

They are entertaining old friend Lauren and her new boyfriend, builder Ben. But there’s a problem. Jenny (Shvorne Marks) is more than a little preoccupied by a possible strange presence – at 2:22am.

"... an icy hand on your shoulder when you’re just out of the shower"

Now this kind of thing would have most of us running to the estate agent in the morning to get the house on the market and accepting offers well below the asking price. But Sam (James Bye) is a sceptic. A man of science, he doesn’t believe in such things. The others are more open to it and so we are off and running with a tension between the four of them which runs throughout.

As well as frights along the way, Danny Robins’ script is also very funny with some great lines particularly from Ben (Grant Kilburn), who turns out to have more integrity than you’d expect from a man who wears smart shoes with no socks. Ben grew up in the area and doesn’t care much for what the newcomers have created.

Lauren (Natalie Casey) is, shall we say, partial to a tipple and gets increasingly sloshed, also a source of emotion and black humour.

The tension is racked up further and further as the time (marked cleverly by a digital clock display on set) moves inexorably towards the magic hour.

The four of them become locked in by Jenny’s anxiety and Sam’s intractability. The visitors will stay until 2:22. What will happen when we get there?

This play would actually lend itself better to a smaller venue like the Devonshire Park Theatre. It would benefit hugely from an intimacy that you simply don’t get from the wide spaces of the Congress. I’m guessing the Congress was chosen to accommodate a large set but it’s a pity.

It does maintain the tension well, though things are shrill at times, particularly from Natalie Casey, and sometimes it’s a little difficult to hear what’s being said.

But it’s certainly a good evening and a chance to see an award-winning play.

2:22 A Ghost Story is an icy hand on your shoulder when you’re just out of the shower: good writing, good performances.

“Who ya gonna call?” Eastbourne Theatres box office, of course!

:: 2:22 A Ghost Story is at the Congress Theatre until Saturday 4 July. Tickets available here.

:: Gary Murray was a professional actor for 14 years in theatre, radio, TV and even a couple of operas. After many years on the tech side of the ticketing industry, he now works at Tech Resort and is a volunteer reviewer for Eastbourne Reporter