There’s frightening fun at Grand Opera House York this week – as 2:22 A Ghost Story takes to the stage.
The smash-hit West End play has brought its ghostly tale to York – what better place than the most haunted city in the UK? – and it delivers on a night of scares, suspense and spirited entertainment.
2:22 A Ghost Story is at the Grand Opera House York from Tuesday 30 April to Saturday 4 May.
The play, written by Danny Robins and was first seen in London in 2021, has proved very popular amongst audiences and a sixth West End production is scheduled to begin performances later this month, starring Stacey Dooley and James Buckley. It’s a show that’s become known for its slightly left field casting, with previous productions giving West End debuts to Cheryl and Lily Allen.
The show follows Jenny (Fiona Wade) and her husband Sam (George Rainsford), who have recently moved to a new fixer-upper house in London with their baby daughter Phoebe. But something is not right – for the past several nights, Jenny has heard footsteps and crying coming from her daughter’s bedroom at exactly 2:22am. Believing that her house is haunted, Jenny convinces her dinner party guests Lauren, Sam’s university friend, (Vera Chok) and Ben, Lauren’s new partner, (Jay McGuiness) to stay until 2:22 – against sceptic Sam’s wishes.
The play delivers expertly on tension. From the very beginning, we know that we are headed towards the dreaded 2:22, and as the large neon red clock ticks closer and closer towards it, the action – and our anxiety – winds ever tighter.
This tenseness reflects onto the relationships between the characters too, who repeatedly butt heads throughout the play over everything from science and class to religion and gentrification.
The four leading actors form a very strong cast. Fiona Wade (Emmerdale) is fantastic as new-mum Jenny; her anxiety and paranoia bleeds into the audience and we feel her pain of fighting to be believed when she knows that something is wrong, but her worries are continually brushed off by her husband. Wade conveys Jenny’s emotional state with poignancy, and the final scene is heart-wrenching because of it.
Jay McGuiness (best known for being a member of boyband The Wanted) is also excellent as Ben. His character brings much-needed moments of light comic relief, but McGuiness also brings gravitas as Ben recounts the story of his past.
His clashes with Sam create some electric moments of hostility, and George Rainsford (Casualty) is great at portraying Sam’s unpleasant know-it-all attitude. Like Lauren, we are also rooting for Sam’s scepticism to be proved wrong, and his loss of control as the play develops creates some room for his character’s vulnerability to come through.
Vera Chok (Hollyoaks) as Lauren is a character constantly caught between two sides – a Switzerland between belief and disbelief in the supernatural. Her long-held feelings for Sam vs her settling with partner Ben also bring an interesting dynamic to her character. The scene where Chok is alone on stage drinking from wine glasses gives us a glimpse into the hidden depths of Lauren’s character which I wish was explored more in the play.
There are plenty of effective jumpscares throughout the play – the first one even prompting screams from the audience – and there are several occasions where the paranormal tension ramps up to keep you on the edge of the seat.
The naturalistic set design by Anna Fleischle is an amazing spectacle to look at and it’s the perfect layout for the action to take place in. The sliding doors at the back of the stage leading to the ‘outside’ elevates the set even further. Lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound design by Ian Dickinson and illusions by Chris Fisher work together in harmony to bring no shortage on scares – the bold neon lighting was also a fun addition throughout.
The play is very cleverly executed – as it hurtles towards its shock finale, it’s very satisfying to go back and figure out the trail of breadcrumbs that were placed from the beginning. Even if you figure out what’s going on before the plot twist is revealed, it’s equally fun to spot all the clues as they happen on stage.
If you’re looking for a fun night out that will give you frights, laughs and just a good ol’ time at the theatre, then look no further than the Grand Opera House this week – if you dare to see what happens at 2:22!
2:22 A Ghost Story is at the Grand Opera House until Saturday 4 May. Tickets start from £13 and are available here.
