There are two camps: those who wholeheartedly believe, and those who steadfastly do not. Those who haver somewhere in-between are met with the same disdain by non-believers as if they had screeched “I saw a ghost” in the middle of a silent room.
So, what would you do if the person you loved most in the world didn’t believe you when you proclaimed that you had experienced something paranormal?
Danny Robin’s hit play 2:22: A Ghost Story explores just that. Following a hit run in the West End, the thrilling tale has come on tour, haunting Newcastle Theatre Royal from the 19th to the 23rd of September.
The two-act play follows Jenny (Louisa Lytton) and Sam (Nathaniel Curtis), as they host dinner for the first time in their new family home. Jenny believes their new digs are haunted, having experienced some ghostly goings-on in their daughter’s nursery whilst Sam was away for work. However, Sam, a cynical man of science, believes there will be a perfectly rational explanation behind it all; he just has to find it...
Over the course of the dinner party, Jenny sets about trying to prove to Sam, Sam’s university friend Lauren (Charlene Boyd), and Lauren’s new builder-boyfriend, Ben (Joe Absolom), that something spooky really does lurk in the walls of their ‘perfect’ home by challenging them to stay up until exactly 2:22 am; the time of the haunting.
The tension between all four characters builds as the hours tick by, pushing and pulling against each other's beliefs, wants, and needs. Watching the actors' emotions ramp up in real-time, just metres away on-stage, showcased their ferocity in a way that you don’t get to appreciate on screen and the intimacy of watching their emotions heighten to a crescendo added an extra layer that perhaps it was not just the so-called ghost that haunted the group’s dynamic.
The performance’s clever use of light and darkness, interspersed with sound effects succeeds in tapping into the general jumpiness of the human condition so that the audience feels their hackles rise in tandem with those onstage.
The play ends with an incredible twist, but the audience is reminded “Shhh… please don’t tell!”, so my lips are sealed! If you want to experience it for yourself, 2:22 is on tour through to mid-2024. Check out their website at www.222aghoststory.com for specific dates in 2024. If you want to get a flavour of the play before then, Danny Robins’ new TV show Uncanny, airs next week on BBC One.