People's Theatre
20th October, 2026
Written by Danny Robins
Directed by Anna Dobson
Cast:
Jenny - Holly Stamp
Lauren - Kay Edmundson
Ben - Sam Burrell
Sam - Sam Hinton
Police Officers - Laura Astin, Max Earnshaw
Well. Where to start with this one? There's so much I want to say about it, but I can't...I am sworn to secrecy... A reviewer's nightmare - no spoilers allowed.
So what can I tell you? I can tell you about the impressive set, and the sound and lighting - almost an entire house recreated on the stage - kitchen, living room, dining room and stairs. The house is a work in progress for Jenny and Sam, who have recently moved in with their young daughter. They are renovating and redecorating; there are layers of half peeled wallpaper, pots of paint and bottles of brush cleaner, as well as magnificent patio doors that over-power the room (a bone of contention between Jenny and Sam) and the child's toys scattered across the floor (Sam was supposed to have tidied them away!). The kitchen is a clutter of cups and glasses and utensils, a pan bubbles on the hob, the kettle actually boils for much needed cups of tea and coffee. And above everything a giant digital clock displaying the time in blood red digits. Out side the patio doors a light comes on and off throughout the night - sometimes because one of the characters goes outside, sometimes just because... The screech of urban foxes punctuate the play - sudden, unexpected unearthly sounds. The cast and the audience jump every time. And a storm plays out - thunder and lightning adding to the drama and atmosphere.
I can tell you a little about the characters - all convincingly played by the cast. Sam and Jenny have friends over for dinner - Lauren, and old university friend of Sam's and her partner Ben. There is tension between Jenny and Sam - Jenny is stressed and tired, running a home and looking after an 11month old, while Sam has been away for the week and arrived home late. And there is tension between Lauren and Sam and Sam and Ben - clearly Sam and Lauren have history, and Sam disapproves of Ben. There are undercurrents of jealousy and envy, social superiority, and a hint of manipulation. Sam likes to be in control, and he likes to be right. He's a scientist, logical and forensic and he does not like to have his certainties questioned. One of his certainties is that there are no such things as ghosts, everything can be explained somehow. Jenny on the other hand is convinced that the house is haunted. She has heard footsteps in the baby's room, and a man crying. Ben's mother was a spiritualist and both he and his sister had a ghostly encounter as children. Sam is derisive and belittles their experiences. The rising friction between the characters heightens the tension as they wait for the allotted hour - twenty two minutes past two - the time when Jenny is sure the ghostly footsteps will be heard again, and this time she will have witnesses.
I can tell you that 2:22 is full of tension and suspense, fear and uncertainty, but it is also full of humour which punctures the tension, only for it to build again. Everything centres around Jenny - the tired, over-wrought young mother, fearing for her child and desperately looking for support from her husband. Support that is not forthcoming. Ben shows greater empathy than Sam, seeking ways to reassure her - and in doing so angers Sam, making him increasingly derisive of his background and beliefs.
On the surface, this is a ghost story, but underneath it explores the nature of relationships, of social values, of religious and spiritual beliefs. It doesn't offer answers, just poses the questions. It shows glimpses of the underbelly of the relationships between the characters - what appears on the surface is not all that they are. There is love and friendship, but there is also need and envy.
And all the while the clock is ticking. Will a ghost be uncovered at 2:22 or will Sam's logic be proved right? And what is the significance of the time?
Do you believe in ghosts? Or will science explain it all? Dare you come along to find out?
2:22 - A Ghost Story plays until Saturday 24th.
Denise Sparrowhawk
*images by Paul Hood
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