2:22 A Ghost Story – Liverpool Empire

As Danny Robbins (writer) so accurately describes in his introduction in the programme, 2:22 has ghosts in it, and most of the text is about ghosts, but in reality, it is about trust. How would you as a believer react to a sceptically loved one, and vice versa? This play explores dynamics of relationships when your beliefs differ so widely, and this is what has truly made the play a success.

When married couple and new parents Jenny (Fiona Wade) and Sam (George Rainsford) cannot agree on the cause of mysterious events in their new home, their trust in each other and strength of their relationship is stripped bare. Helped along by dinner guests Lauren (Vera Chok) and Ben (Jay McGuinness) the couple must prove (or disprove) the cause of the inexplicable happenings. Their beliefs differ on just about everything, including religion, parenting, how to judge other people, and how to make a house a home. This story is 100 minutes of how a couple may or may not overcome this gaping hole, and this humanity is why 2:22 is so enthralling.

The acting performances of all four were terrific, the play is dialogue heavy, and every bit was clearly delivered with intention and purpose. The acting is as good as you would expect anywhere in the theatrical world.

The dialogue is beautifully written, containing such simple dramatic and comedy text, so beautifully articulated. The play is actually much funnier than you might expect, and this comedy is more crucial than anything else to the overall delivery of the play, as the rollercoaster of ups and downs reaches even greater heights with it in. Robbins’ writing is truly impressive, and it is very easy to see how he is quickly becoming one of the countries most renowned paranormal writers/journalists.

The set design by Anna Fleischle stood out immediately. A fascinatingly dated home in the middle of being modernised, which is a crucial part of the story, I can imagine it was a great joy to design this set, and Fleischle has managed to capture something in an everyday audience. We all recognised that house, from the damp on the walls that we dread, to the modern fitted kitchen we all wish for. The importance of the set was captured beautifully.

If you are looking for the same level of jump scare or illusion as the likes of ‘The Woman in Black’ or ‘Ghost Stories’, you will be disappointed. The audience expected a ghost story with more illusions and scary moments, and in fact there were very few of these moments. Some members of the audience were audibly disappointed at the lack of ‘scary bits’. The illusions that were used were of the highest quality, as you would expect from Illusions Director Chris Fisher, who is at the very forefront of theatrical illusions in British Theatre, with a list of theatre credits anyone would be envious of. The work with the dining table (no spoilers) was so simple, but extremely effective. In reality it was the only truly scary moment that wasn’t created by a loud noise or bright flashing light.

The ghost stories within the play do not measure up to some of the others plays of the same genre already mentioned with regards to the final ‘twist’ – my mum actually guessed the twist at the interval, and I could hear other people around me in the theatre doing the same a long time before it came. Regardless, 2:22 has lots of heart, and is at its heart a story about how different kinds of relationships survive different beliefs as much as anything else.

2:22 is a fabulously told story and is well worth seeing. It runs at the Liverpool Empire until Saturday 6th April, then continues its UK tour until June 2024. Tickets are available from: https://222aghoststory.com/uk-tour-tickets/  

Thank you to Liverpool Empire for their always impeccable hospitality.

Reviewer: Andrew Lee

Reviewed: 2nd April 2024

North West End UK Rating: