2:22 A Ghost Story
Since its premiere in 2021, 2:22 A Ghost Story has become a staple of modern stage entertainment. While it may be best known for its revolving door of celebrity casting during its West End years and its crowd pleasing jump scares, this latest UK tour brings the production’s hidden strengths to the forefront.
Despite its marketing as a “horror”, I believe that 2.22 works best if seen as more of a spooky successor to The Mousetrap. We are introduced to renounced Catholic and new mother, Jenny who believes her house is haunted after hearing footsteps around her daughter’s cot at (yes, you guessed it) 2.22am for the last four nights. Her husband Sam is an astrologer and open sceptic. This leads to a tension filled dinner party along with Sam’s friends Lauren and Ben as we wait until the eponymous time.
From a writing perspective, Danny Robbins has crafted a truly effective thriller that focuses more on domesticity and tension rather than full-on scares. With its satire on the gentrification of London and modern household appliances not behaving as they should (“You’ve turned her against me,” berates Sam as he refers to Amazon’s Alexa), Dunster’s script has a very parochial theme which, in my opinion, enhances the scares. Its horror is mostly represented in the form of jump-scare sound effects that punctuate each scene transition to crowd-pleasing effect. However, the real tension comes from the four characters arguing about the supernatural in a very down-to-earth way that feels chillingly believable. Unlike most modern horror, in which you ask yourself, “Why go into the dark room?”, Dunster’s characters behave in a way that makes sense as per their personal arc, which makes proceedings all the more chilling.
The show truly is an ensemble piece, and this production shines most through its performances. Shvorne Marks makes for a truly compelling Jenny. While the writing and structure of the character can make it easy to turn histrionic, Marks plays it ever so straight. You truly believe in her plight through the supernatural and her growing frustrations with Sam, creating the emotional anchor of the show.
As her husband, James Bye provides arguably the audience’s representation with his scepticism and more down-to-earth persona. Bye gives a superbly realistic performance, which becomes increasingly infuriating as he tries to “explain everything.” However, I found that his performance had a hidden layer of fear and posturing, thus giving him more depth.
There is also a fine turn from Natalie Casey as Lauren, Sam’s brash American university friend, who provides much comic relief in the first act but gradually morphs into a character with trauma and unrequited feelings. I still question whether the American nature of the character truly adds anything and sometimes creates an accent roadblock to Casey’s otherwise stellar performance.
However, the show’s ace card comes in the shape of Grant Kilburn as Ben. Despite being written to act purely as an antagonist for Sam, Kilburn brings a magnetic stage presence and truly revels in the comedy brought from his unabashed London persona, and he also dives into the supernatural as we learn more about his beliefs. Two of the shows most chilling sequences revolve around his performance and the audience hung onto every word.
There are a few minor missteps: the overuse of a deafening fox scream grows tiresome, and a séance scene in Act 2 feels a little hackneyed in its attempt to generate scares. However, on second viewing, I found 2:22 to be an expertly crafted British chiller. While not as terrifying as some of its theatrical predecessors, it’s a well-written, clever, and deceptively layered yarn with a final twist that would make Agatha Christie nod in approval.
This show was reviewed on 2nd February 2026 at Richmond Theatre where it runs until the 7th February 2026. Tickets available here: 2:22 A Ghost Story Tickets | Richmond Theatre in Richmond | ATG Tickets
Full tour dates here: 2:22 A Ghost Story | Official Website
Review written by Alex Farley
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Photo credit: Helen Murray
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