Ghost stories are a staple of British culture. From fireside Victorian chillers to post-war televisual horrors, Britain has long been enamoured with the paranormal. Although we think of ourselves as becoming an increasingly secular society, a 2025 poll found that 38% of Brits continue to believe in the existence of ghosts.
It’s within this milieu that writer Danny Robins’ 2:22 A Ghost Story conjures its tense power. Opening in 2021, the play was an immediate West End hit, receiving three Olivier Awards nominations, and has become known for its rotating cast, which has included stints for Lily Allen, Stacey Dooley and James Buckley.
Robins is the host of the BBC’s mega-successful Uncanny podcast, in which he interviews people who’ve had paranormal experiences; 2:22 A Ghost Story feels like an amalgamation of such stories. The one-location play follows four characters – husband and wife Jenny and Sam, and their friends Lauren and Ben. Jenny has observed ghostly activity in their house, at 2.22am each time, and following a dinner party, the quartet decide to stay awake until then.
The central conflict of the play is between the believers and non-believer – Jenny’s husband Sam, who Robins’ script is not shy of making a smug, scientific-minded irritant. If there’s an issue with that script, which is generally sharp and thoughtful, it’s that it occasionally veers into ‘people are tired of experts’ territory, namely in the narrative conflict between middle-class academic Sam and salt-of-the-earth cockney believer Ben.
Still, these are minor quibbles, and the play succeeds due to its relentless narrative tension. An onstage clock counts down until 2:22am, while the end of scenes are abruptly announced by a shrieking sound and red light that outlines the massive house and garden set. These function as a cattle prod, jolting you to attention and keeping your nerves thoroughly jangled.
When the final revelation arrives, it’s perhaps not quite as impressive as what your mind has spent the rest of this remarkably taut, frequently funny and engrossing play imagining. However, couldn’t the same be said of all the best ghost stories?
2:22 A Ghost Story, New Theatre, Cardiff, Mon 16 Feb
On until Sat 21 Feb. Tickets: £33-£49. Info: here
words TOM MORGAN
