2:22 by Danny Robins has become one of those must see pieces of paranormal theatre ever since it made its debut in the West End in 2021.
Justifiably nominated for awards, after a highly successful period in the nation’s capital, the play has enthralled its audiences across the UK and the world and is now on tour with its latest stop being the Regent Theatre in Hanley.
Sam (Kevin Clifton) and Jenny (Stacey Dooley) are a couple who were obviously deeply in love but are finding that the strains of married life are forcing them apart. Not only is Jenny being worn down by her duties as a mother of young infant Phoebe but the couple are working hard to renovate a house in Greater London.
Matters between the couple have not been improved due to Sam’s work pattern. He has recently returned from a work trip to the Channel Islands and Jenny is less than happy that her partner was out of contact for several days and just at a time when she needed him most.
Not only is she frazzled by her daily grind but Jenny has over the last few nights been visited in the early hours by what she can only describe is a ghostly experience. At exactly 2:22 she has been woken by the sounds of a man crying and footsteps in her daughter’s bedroom.
Sam’s excuse that he lost his phone while away cuts little ice with his partner and his attempts as a scientist to explain away the phenomenon only cause the couple to drift further apart. Even worse for Sam is that he and Jenny are entertaining Sam’s old university friend Lauren (Shvorne Marks) and her new boyfriend Ben (Grant Kilburn).
There was clearly some unrequited love between Sam and Lauren but there is immediate antipathy between Sam and Ben who reveals that he regularly attended seances in his youth and it is agreed that the four should hold a vigil until 2:22 to see if the ghost makes another appearance.
Sam becomes more beleaguered as the evening continues and struggles to defend his scepticism as strange events continue to happen. As the digital clock counts towards 2:22 the tension is ratcheted up with scare-jumping moments that have the audience on the edge of their seats before a very clever twist is announced by the arrival of two police officers (Rochelle Harvey and Paul Sockett).
This extremely clever piece of writing has the audience agog with amazement. Few in the audience saw the outcome but on reflection there are clues which can only be picked up when mentally reviewing the plot on the way home.
There is some beautiful acting with Clifton once again proving that he has developed far beyond just being a set of twinkle toes in the world of professional dancing and Dooley has successfully transferred her empathy as a documentary maker to her role as an exhausted and struggling young wife. Kilburn is very effective as the real believer in the existence of ghosts and shows a good sense of comic timing while Marks has developed a real quality of chemistry in her interactions with the other members of the cast.
All cast members deliver a tight script with aplomb but much credit has to go to the creative team. Director Matthew Dunster has delivered a production where he makes every second count as the allotted hour approaches while Designer Anna Fleischle has produced a set that perfectly portrays a residence in the process of gentrification. In addition, lighting by Lucy Carter and Sound design by Ian Dickinson help to develop the growing sensation of dread.
2:22 is an excellent piece of theatre and is a true stand-out in its genre. It seriously questions the scepticism of those who do not believe in the world of spirits. Are those noises in the dead of night natural or is the house relaying the unease of former residents as you undo all of their good work? Can the sound of footsteps and voices be logically explained away?
Whichever side of the divide the audience stood on before seeing this play, I am sure that for some time they will hope that they are not awakened by a mysterious sound and see the time on the bedside clock is 2:22.
2:22 has a running time of approximately two hours including interval. For ticket information contact atgtickets.com
