2:22 A Ghost Story at Sunderland Empire - A haunting combination of funny and frightening

2:22 A Ghost Story is haunting the Sunderland Empire stage this week (Tuesday, May 21 to Saturday, May 25), testing the beliefs of the North East audience. 

I went along to the opening night of the performance on Tuesday, May 21, and left the theatre feeling spooked, shocked and impressed. 

Written by Danny Robins, the plot of 2:22 A Ghost Story revolves around married couple Jenny and Sam, who have just moved into their dream home. However, Jenny believes that the house is haunted, as at 2:22 every morning, they are visited by a ghostly presence. 

Hosting their first dinner party with friends Lauren and Ben, the four debate on the existence of ghosts and vow to stay up until 2:22am, to see if Jenny’s claims are real. 

The cast were absolutely excellent, with Fiona Wade as Jenny, George Rainsford as Sam, Vera Chok as Lauren and Aaron Dart as Ben. 

Wade played the perfect role of a frightened new mum, which I’m sure many in the audience could relate to, while Rainsford really stole the show as Sam, shutting down Jenny’s claims and “explaining everything away.”

The pair had great chemistry on stage, and despite their characters’ different beliefs and personalities, were very believable as an everyday married couple. 

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Supporting actors Chok and Dart also absolutely excelled in their roles. Dart is the second actor on the bill to play Ben, with The Wanted’s Jay McGuinness set to perform in the play on final night, Saturday, May 25.

Dart was outstanding in his role as Ben, and despite the show being a tense thriller, he also provided a lot of the humorous and light-hearted moments, which was a welcome relief against the edge-of-your-seat slow-burn of the rest of the show.

2:22 A Ghost Story was the perfect combination of haunting, frightening and funny, with jumpscares, plot twists and laugh out loud moments throughout, that really take you by surprise. 

I’d highly recommend those who love a good thriller or ghost story to see 2:22 A Ghost Story, especially with this exceptional cast.

For more information and bookings, please visit the Sunderland Empire (ATG Tickets) website.