By Sarah Becker
⭐⭐⭐⭐
“The clues are so obvious when you know,” one audience member remarked as he left the auditorium of the Royal & Derngate. And he’s right. The clues really are there, in plain sight, all along.
For those not in the know, there is plenty to admire in this production of 2:22 A Ghost Story, winner of the WhatsOnStage Best New Play award.
From the very start, the show, written by Danny Robins, and directed by Matthew Dunster, pulls you in – quite literally – through its meticulously detailed set.
I spent the first few minutes simply absorbing it: a flat newly occupied by a couple with a baby, mid-renovation. Peeling wallpaper, a distinctly retro fireplace, a compact kitchenette – it feels uncannily real, like stepping into a slightly worn Friends-style apartment. You can almost smell the dust.
But of course, this is no ordinary flat.
As the story unfolds, the domestic setting becomes increasingly unsettling. The protagonist Jenny, played with mounting intensity by Shvorne Marks is convinced the apartment is haunted. What follows is a slow-burning psychological unravelling. Are there ghosts, or is something else at play? The sense of doubt is constant – and deliberately so. Nothing is straightforward, and no one, audience included, gets an easy ride.
The set is worth returning to in itself, because it does more than simply frame the action. It taps into the current trend for theatre that blurs the boundaries between stage and audience, enclosing us within the world of the play. Add in carefully timed soundscapes and a handful of effective jump scares, and the tension is steadily ratcheted up.
In terms of plot, it’s easy to see why 2:22 A Ghost Story has struck such a chord with the public.
With the huge popularity of psychological thrillers and whodunnit-style dramas on platforms like Netflix, this play clearly taps into that appetite. You’re constantly trying to second-guess where it’s heading. Is there a rational explanation? Is the supernatural real? And if so, what does that mean for the characters we’re watching?
The entire cast delivers engaging performances, skillfully highlighting the contrasts between their characters, and their on-stage chemistry is strong. Special mention goes to Shvorne Marks, who gives a compelling portrayal of the spooked Jenny. Grant Kilburn takes on the role of Ben, stepping in for Gary Lucy.
A snappy script also provides some well-judged comic moments, which briefly release the tension before pulling it tight again.
People love a good thriller, especially one that invites them to play detective. The difference here is that instead of being on your sofa with a cup of tea, you’re sitting in a darkened theatre, surrounded by strangers, enclosed within a hyper-real set that amplifies every creak, pause, and breath. Bravo to the production team who created the soundscape. It’s a shared experience that heightens the unease.
That said, this is where my one real criticism comes in – and why I’ve dropped a star. I found the second half began to sag. The play becomes bogged down in extended discussions about ghosts, with each character weighing in and offering their perspective. At the time, it felt over-explanatory. I remember thinking: why am I being told this now, and is it actually relevant? I wanted the story to move forward. I wanted answers.
This is the baggiest section of the play, where the tension briefly dissipates just when you want it to tighten further.
The ticking clock, however, is a reassuring reminder that we are hurtling towards an end.
And then, of course, there’s the twist. Which, as we are all warned, must not be given away.
As you’re ushered back out into the cold night air, everything suddenly clicks. When you know, you know. And that’s exactly the moment you realise this is a play that yearns for a second viewing – because all those clues really were there from the start, hidden in plain sight, waiting for us to notice… if only we’d known.
2:22 A Ghost Story runs until Saturday 17th January at The Royal & Derngate. To buy tickets visit: https://royalandderngate.co.uk/