A couple moves into a new house, only to find that something sinister is keeping one of them up at night…
It’s an age-old story we’ve heard countless times, now brought to life onstage through a suspenseful and complex exploration of belief and the afterlife, with a twist that’ll keep you up at night.
The award-winning supernatural thriller, 2:22 A Ghost Story, usually only playing on London’s West End, is continuing its award-winning run spooking audiences across the country.
Written by Danny Robbins, the production is playing at The Lowry between the 4 and 15 June as part of its second tour across the country in under a year.
The story centres around a couple experiencing supernatural events at precisely 2:22am in their home, which doesn’t exactly sound like a new concept – we’ve all grown up on ghost stories about haunted houses.
The familiar genre tropes are all here too; the believer and the skeptic. Throw in a suburban house under construction, halfway between its old and new self, a digital clock and strange noises through a baby monitor, each used as dramatic devices for building suspense throughout the script, and you’ve got yourself a setup audiences know like the back of their hand.
Except, 2:22 A Ghost Story’s writer knows this and uses this familiar setup to lead us into a false sense of security.
2:22 A Ghost Story is a thriller play currently running at The Lowry theatre in Salford
The play takes place across one night, aside from its appropriately spooky opening, where two couples come together for a dinner party.
You have Jenny (Fiona Wade), a young mother who is convinced that her new house is haunted after strange occurrences happen at the same time every night; Jenny’s husband, Sam (George Rainsford), a man who values logic, reason and science above all else (even his own wife’s experiences), whose stubbornness causes much of the conflict throughout the play; Lauren (Vera Chok), an old friend of Sam’s and Ben (The Wanted’s Jay McGuiness); and Lauren’s partner.
Various jump scares create tension throughout, but it’s through the opposing beliefs and ideas of these characters that the tension grows more palpable.
Across the evening the characters discuss their own personal accounts of the paranormal as they open up to one another. Fear and belief are the beating thematic heart of the play, themes that spur interesting and sometimes disturbing conversations about the afterlife that’ll linger with you long after the play finishes.
Masterfully directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr, 2:22A Ghost Story is not all spooky goings-on though. The supernatural thriller’s script is brought to life through an amazing cast that juggles suspenseful moments with comedy to lighten the predominantly moody atmosphere.
2:22 A Ghost Story is a thriller play currently running at The Lowry theatre in Salford
The plot unfolds at a steady pace, with each act revealing new layers of mystery. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing moments of intense drama to be interspersed with lighter, more reflective scenes.
A particularly memorable twist will leave you gobsmacked – the less said about this the better.
Whereas most plays centre themselves around the meaning of life and what it means to be human in one way or another, 2:22 A Ghost Story concerns itself more with the meaning of death and our relationship with it.
“I read somewhere that humans are rational machines caught between irrational beliefs,” says one of the characters in the play’s final act. Themes of belief, fear, and the unknown are explored with nuance. The dialogue is sharp and thought-provoking, prompting us to question our perception of reality. The play’s exploration of these themes is both timely and timeless.
By intertwining moments of genuine terror with thought-provoking dialogue, 2:22 A Ghost Story transcends the typical ghost story. The play’s direction, script and cast all come together to create a powerful commentary on the limits of human understanding and the enduring mystery of what lies beyond. Its well-crafted plot, stellar performances, and high production values make it a must-see.
In the end, the play leaves us with more questions than answers, compelling us to confront the shadows in our own lives. It is a haunting reminder that sometimes, the most frightening ghosts are not the ones we see, but the ones that reside within us.
You can book tickets for 2:22 A Ghost Story at The Lowry here.
Featured image: Supplied
Theatre
2:22 A Ghost Story at the Manchester Opera House – a nail-biting and thrilling night out
Clementine Hall
2:22 A Ghost Story has begun its UK tour in Manchester, and it’s a production certainly not for the faint hearted.
Since its premier on the West End back in 2021, 2:22 A Ghost Story has firmly established itself as a must-see.
It’s a production that promises to get your pulse racing, your palms sweating and the hairs stand up on the back of your neck – and believe me, it does just that.
Based on the personal experiences of playwright Danny Robbins, this spooky tale delves into the supernatural themes of love, loss, and enduring connections.
Image: Supplied
The script is fast paced and keeps the audience on the edge of their seat, infusing dark themes with unexpected turns and moments of humour – it’s a perfect recipe for success.
Set against the backdrop of a middle class dinner party there are no set changes, instead we focus on the four characters and their evening until the dreaded time comes around…2:22.
Jenny and Sam, played by Stacey Dooley and Kevin Clifton, are joined by their old friend Lauren (Shvorne Marks) and her new boyfriend Ben (Grant Kilburn).
Image: SuppliedImage: suPPLIED
There was not one weak link in the cast, each player kept up to speed in the fast pace game as the plot unfurled around them.
The standout performance for me was by Grant Kilburn as Ben, a cocky chino-wearing, loafer-sporting builder who turns out to be more than meets the eye (no spoilers, I promise).
Stacey Dooley’s Jenny was gentle and strong in equal measures, whereas Kevin Clifton’s performance was exactly as you wanted it to be – ridiculously obnoxious and at most times incredibly unlikeable.
Image: Supplied
The syncopated score added to the tension of the plot perfectly, as did the red lighting that framed the performance throughout.
Again, I won’t give too much away but the jump scares dotted through the performance sent waves of terror throughout the audience. Followed by chuckles of laughter as grown adults came to realise they’d dropped their popcorn on the floor out of fright.
The ending of course brought it all together, and was the sort of ending that you had speaking to strangers walking out of the auditorium after the final curtain call.
So if you’re looking to get your pulse racing with a theatre production like no other, 2:22 A Ghost Story is at the Manchester Opera House until Saturday 16 August and you can your tickets here.
Here & Now – The Steps Musical is coming to Manchester
Daisy Jackson
A musical inspired by pop band Steps is coming to Manchester this year, and the principal cast for Here & Now has now been confirmed.
The musical features Steps’ most beloved hit songs, including Tragedy, Heartbeat, Stomp, the One For Sorrow, Better Best Forgotten, 5,6,7,8, Last Thing On My Mind, Love’s Got A Hold Of My Heart, Chain Reaction, and many more.
The story is set in seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles.
But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…?
Here & Now has an original book by Shaun Kitchener and is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Olivier Award-winning Matt Cole and Matt Spencer-Smith as musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger.
The show is produced by Steps themselves, ROYO, and pop legend Pete Waterman.
Producers have now confirmed that Rebecca Lock will star as Caz, returning from the original run in Birmingham.
Here & Now – The Steps Musical is coming to Manchester
Finty Williams will play Patricia, Blake Patrick Anderson will be Robbie, River Medway (fan favourite on the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, BBC) is Jem, Edward Baker Duly (The King and I) as Max and John Stacey as Lesley.
There are new cast members joining the principal cast too, including Jacqui Dubois (Ghost The Musical UK tour) as Vel, Chris Grahamson (NOW That’s What I Call A Musical UK and Ireland tour) as Gareth and Rosie Singha (& Juliet UK and Ireland tour) as Neeta.
Set design by Tom Rogers, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Adam Fisher, wigs, hair and makeup design by Sam Cox, casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting, Music Technology by Phij Adams with Production Management by Setting Line.
Steps are one of the biggest pop bands of a generation, made up of Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee.
In their career they achieved 14 top five singles, four number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams and 11 sold-out national arena tours.
Steps’ 2017 comeback tour was one of the biggest pop tours of that year, with 300,000 tickets sold, and they’ve continued to release new music.
You can find out more about Here & Now and book tickets HERE.
Dylan Whitty -
5th June 2024 
