REVIEW: 2:22 : A Ghost Story – King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Writer: Danny Robins

Directors: Matthew Dunster & Gabriel Vega Weissman

Every morning, for the past four days, at exactly 2:22, strange sounds have been emanating from the baby monitor in the newly purchased home of Jenny (Stacey Dooley) and Sam (Kevin Clifton). While most would think that the noises are due to the neighbours or the decrepit state of the grand fixer-upper. Jenny is convinced the house is haunted.

The action takes place over the course of one night, a night when Sam has invited his old university friend Lauren (Shvorne Marks) and her new partner, Ben (Grant Kilburn) over for dinner. Sam’s only motivation is to parade his impressive new purchase in font of the pair.

Over the course of the evening the class tensions ramp up as well as Jenny’s concern about the purchase of the house and the safety of her baby. The thoughts of believers and sceptics clash. As Jenny lays bare her fears, supercilious Sam rationally dismisses or counter-argues her thoughts away, but Lauren and Sam are open to a less than rational explanation of events. The uneasiness builds as they wait for the clock to tick round to the fated hour.

With over thirty productions worldwide, writer Danny Robins (Uncanny, The Battersea Poltergeist, The Witch Farm) can truly lay claim to having a global hit on his hands. With real-life couple Dooley and Clifton cast in the central roles, and neither known as actors. there will of course be some scrutiny on the ‘stunt’ casting. While there is a tendency for the pair to step over lines in their eagerness to deliver them, their acting is sure-footed enough, Dooley is sympathetic and convincing as the exhausted new mum who is undermined at every turn by her know-it-all husband and she has a feisty spark in counterpart to his “I’ll think you’ll find” proclamations. Clifton manages to be thoroughly dislikeable as show-off Sam and Grant Kilburn is appealing as the quiet, working-class builder Ben, who elicits the most sympathy from the audience. Shvorne Marks’ Lauren is nicely judged as Sam’s former flame.

Anything billed as a a ghost story will, of course, invite the question: is it scary? There are jump-scares littered throughout, but these are more down to the stage craft involved rather than the material. That said, the writing is strong, and while there’s no exhilarating terror, it delivers the thrills as it tick-tocks around to 2:22. The twist when it comes is a shocker. This is a highly entertaining production that stands up to repeated viewing, even if you know what’s to come.

Runs until 30 August 2025 then continues touring: Image: Helen Murray