2.22, a Ghost Story

Ben, a builder, and his new partner, Lauren, a mental health expert, have gone for dinner and drinks with Sam, an academic and his wife, Jenny, a new mother. Sam and Lauren were friends at university. Jenny reveals that she believes their house, which they recently bought and have been renovating, is haunted. Strange things happen at 2.22 in the morning. They agree to stay up on a ghost-hunting vigil.

Sam is an insufferable know-all who is massively sceptical about ghosts. He repeatedly conflicts with Ben, whose mother was a spiritualist, and who has had spooky experiences himself. Lauren, whose behaviour is very strange and who herself had a strange experience involving a friend who died, gets drunk. Jenny is terrified for her baby; her parents are very religious but she no longer believes in God.

Most of the play is a series of arguments between these four very different characters. Sam is very annoying. Lauren is even more so. The scenes are punctuated by screams. The baby monitor repeatedly has the sound of the baby, upstairs, crying. There are other strange sounds and, once, a kinetic stage effect. There is an onstage clock that ticks towards the deadline.

There is a very clever twist at the end.

But most of the time I was bored. The arguments for and against ghosts were routine; I have heard them all many times before. I was annoyed by the antics of Lauren who shrieked a lot, not from fear but as part of her character; she was completely over the top. 

I spent my time thinking that it could only be rescued by some terrifying special effects. It wasn’t.

I have a friend who has seen this play three times. I have heard reports from others that it is wonderful. Some of the audience were applauding on their feet. Myself and my two companions were thoroughly underwhelmed.

Disappointing. Two stars would be a generous rating.

I watched this at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne on 1st July 2026 with Les and Steph. The play had to start again after the first few minutes because of a technical problem (I think the onstage clock wasn't working).

This review was written by

the author of Bally and Bro, Motherdarling 

and The Kids of God