A ghost story that’s genuinely funny, properly frightening and far too relatable.
Brighton’s seen its fair share of hauntings, but this one comes with a wine glass in hand. 2:22 A Ghost Story, Danny Robins’ award-winning supernatural thriller-slash-dinner-party meltdown, has taken over the Theatre Royal – and it’s a taut, funny and unexpectedly emotional night at the theatre.
The premise is simple: Jenny (Stacey Dooley) and Sam (Kevin Clifton) have just moved into a fixer-upper when strange noises start echoing through the walls – always at precisely 2:22am. Rather than panic, they do what any modern couple would: invite friends Lauren (Shvorne Marks) and Ben (Grant Kilburn) over for a civilised dinner-slash-seance. Because nothing says friendship like testing your collective nerve over a bottle of red and a roast chicken.
It’s a tight production with zero wasted beats: the first half gradually builds tension for what’s to come. But it’s not just a great piece of theatre, it’s properly funny too; Robins’ script lands its humour without puncturing the atmosphere, and this cast absolutely gets the rhythm. Dooley’s Jenny is both grounded and genuinely unnerved, while Clifton’s Sam (Dooley’s real-life partner) struts through his scepticism with perfect comic timing. Marks and Kilburn round out the quartet beautifully, the dinner-party dynamic bristling with affection, history and quiet resentment.
The set is half-finished house, half psychological maze – exposed plaster and unfinished areas – mirrors the story’s theme of things half-built and half-understood. A glowing digital clock looms throughout, counting down to 2.22am like a taunt. Sound and lighting conspire masterfully: hums, flickers, whispers, silences that last half a beat too long. When the jump scares come (and boy, do they come), they’re earned – no cheap tricks, just tension wound tight and released with style.
2:22 works because it’s not really about ghosts at all. It’s about relationships, faith, fear and what we choose to believe when logic runs out. And it does it all while making you laugh, jump and think long after the curtain comes down. Highly recommended.
The BOTI lowdown
Best for: theatre fans who like their scares grounded in human drama
See this if: you love a play that’s as funny as it is freaky
Watch out for: that clock – you may never look at 2.22am quite the same way again
Pro tip: grab a seat in the stalls; the jump scares hit harder down there
Until Saturday 11th October; various times; from £29.50
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