22 A Ghost Story at Opera House ‘will have you jumping out of your seat’

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Danny Robins’ 2:22 A Ghost Story is a supernatural thriller, which has been haunting audiences since its 2021 West End debut and has made its way to Opera House Manchester. Matthew Dunster and Gabriel Vega Weissman deliver the tension filled story that’ll have you jumping out of your seat.

2:22 A Ghost Story at Opera House

2:22 A GHOST STORY. Credit and copyright: Helen Murray

The story follows Jenny and Sam, new parents renovating their dream home. Jenny insists that something strange happens at precisely 2:22am, as she hears footsteps and a voice through the crackling baby monitor. 

Sam is a man of reason who dismisses Jenny’s fears, but when friends Lauren and Ben come over for dinner, Jenny persuades them to stay up and see for themselves. The result is a slow-burn descent into suspicion and discovering the truth. 

Without spoiling, I have to say it offers a twist so harrowing that it sends the audience into a spiral of emotion, with the show finishing and audience immediately discussing what just happened.

“a twist so harrowing that it sends the audience into a spiral of emotion”

Lucy Carter’s lighting design adds to the drama, pulling the audience through each scene the dim kitchen lighting to the sudden bright shocks of red. Carter guides us from domestic calm to moments of sheer dread, then snaps into sharp intensity. The sudden blackouts and blood-red framing of the stage cause the audience to grip onto their seats, jumping and laughing out of fear. It is certainly a show that’ll keep you hooked throughout.

The sound of chatter with sudden, startling jolts, fox screams from the garden, creaks from the rafters, and bursts of baby cries will leave your heart racing. 

Beneath the scares runs a thoughtful exploration of grief, memory, and whether the things we believe say more about us than about reality itself.

2:22 A GHOST STORY Credit and copyright: Helen Murray

Set design by Anna Fleische is an escapism into everyday normality, with the front layer of the stage being a homely open plan set up and the back layer backing onto the dark garden, which is used as an escape for the characters.

My favourite part is honestly jumping out of my seat, not often am I given a fright during a theatre production.

Stacey Dooley at the magnetic Jenny

2:22 A GHOST STORY. Credit and copyright: Helen Murray

Stacey Dooley is magnetic as Jenny, embodying a woman on the edge of fear and frustration. She is taunted with her restless energy radiating onto the audience. She makes Jenny’s terror palpable, but tempers it with moments of vulnerability that invites empathy as she fights her conflicting opinion with Sam. By the time her voice trembles in the quiet scenes, you’re right there with her, scanning for something to jump out.

Kevin Clifton’s Sam is her perfect counterpoint. He saunters through the early scenes with a self-assured smugness that comes across irritating. His refusal to entertain Jenny’s fears is delivered with such precision that you almost want to argue with him yourself. Yet Clifton carefully threads in hints of uncertainty as the story builds, so that when his guard begins to slip, it’s deeply satisfying. His deft comic timing gives the audience much needed release from the tension, that for a second you forget they may be getting tormented by ghosts.

Grant Kilburn plays Ben, who seems awkwardly out of place, the kind of guest who hovers at the edges of the conversation, unsure of his footing. But as events spiral, Kilburn allows Ben’s observations and hesitant humour to blossom into something more compelling. By the later acts, he’s no longer the outsider, he’s a grounding presence with a surprisingly perceptive eye.

Shvorne Marks gives a layered rendition of Lauren, who’s humour in front of her friend’s land effortlessly but it’s her hesitance stillness when left alone that draws you in. There’s a sense that she’s watching everyone closely, filing things away. Marks suggests a backstory without ever stating it outright, giving Lauren a quiet weight that lingers until the end.

A fantastic night out if you’re looking for a great storyline with a spooky tone.

Tickets for 2:22 A Ghost Story at Manchester’s Opera House

2:22 A Ghost Story is at Manchester’s Opera House from 7th of August to the 16th of August. You can get tickets by clicking here

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