DramaNorth East & YorkshireReview

2:22 A Ghost Story – Lyceum Theatre, Sheffield

Reviewer: Ray Taylor

Directors: Matthew Dunster & Isabel Marr

Writer: Danny Robins

In the tradition ofThe Mousetrapthe audience is asked not to divulge the denouement of this play so, rest assured, there will be no spoilers here. What we have is an entertaining evening of thrills and spills with a liberal dose of jump-scares that had this reviewer jumping out of his skin on more than one occasion. Whilst no actual audience screams could be heard there was enough nervous laughter to suggest that some nervous energy had been successfully released.

Married couple Sam (George Rainsford) and Jenny (Fiona Wade) have recently bought a large house which they are thoroughly renovating. The set reveals a modern open plan living room/kitchen with doors off to the upstairs bedrooms and downstairs toilet and an outside space that is illuminated when access is gained. This all works very well and affords good dynamics between the actors. The couple host a dinner party for Lauren (Vera Chok), an old university friend of Sam’s, and Ben (Jay McGuiness), her new boyfriend who has a belief in the supernatural. He plays the cockney wide boy well and provides most of the humour on offer. Some of the dialogue between all of the characters gets a bit lost but this does not detract from the overall action. It transpires that for several nights Jenny has been hearing the sound of someone moving around the house and a man’s voice crying, via the baby monitor in her daughter’s bedroom. She is convinced that the house is haunted and conveys mounting hysteria and panic in a nuanced and edgy performance that elicits sympathy for her plight – but is she imagining it all? Sam is a sceptic who believes that there is a logical, scientific explanation for everything and argues extensively with his wife, trying to get her to see the error of her ways.

Unnamed 2

The evening descends into a series of revelations and confessions as more and more alcohol is drunk and tempers are frayed (Chok is particularly convincing in the way in which she consumes vast amounts of wine – both red and white). There are also some strange occurrences like the daughter’s teddy bear being found, mysteriously, in the bathroom drenched in white spirit; and the window in the bedroom being open when Sam swears he shut it. There is even a classic scene in which all four participate in a seance with devastating results. Jenny persuades all of them to stay up until 2:22 am to see what happens and prove one way or the other that what she has said is true.

The digital clock on permanent and prominent display throughout effectively counts down to the appointed time and puts us all out of our misery – or does it? One doesn’t think it’s giving anything away to say that the audience is left with further questions, thinking back over all the dialogue and action to try and determine just exactly what has transpired.

The play explores some very interesting themes concerning the paranormal that will surely spark many a discussion. Do ghosts actually exist? Are supernatural experiences genuine? Can the existence of poltergeists and such like ever be really proven? Writer Danny Robins has been fascinated by ghosts since he was a child and has produced a thought provoking entertainment that has rightly garnered a number of awards. This reviewer urges you to see it so you can make up your own mind.

Runs until 17 February 2024

The Reviews Hub Score

Creepingly memorable

Show More
Photo of The Reviews Hub - Yorkshire & North East

The Reviews Hub - Yorkshire & North East

The Yorkshire & North East team is under the editorship of Jacob Bush. The Reviews Hub was set up in 2007. Our mission is to provide the most in-depth, nationwide arts coverage online.

Related Articles

One Comment

  1. Saw Ghost story last night at the Lyceum, it was excellent. However Sam’s walking boots need to be dirty. They were brand new. It will be far better fir continuity

Back to top button
The Reviews Hub