2.22 A Ghost Story-King’s Theatre Portsmouth.

James Bye, Natalie Casey, Grant Kilburn and Shivorne Marks star in the latest touring production of the successful play 2.22 A Ghost Story by Danny Robins

Jenny played by Shivorne Marks is convinced the new home she shares with Sam (James Bye) is haunted and at 2.22 am she hears the same thing coming through from their baby’s room every morning.

The play is set during a dinner party with the couple predominantly arguing over whether their new home is haunted or not. Sam is a non-believer and puts everything down to logical explanation.

However, their dinner guests Lucy (Natalie Casey) and Ben (Grant Kilburn) are not so sure that ghosts are a figment of Jenny’s imagination and as the alcohol flows tempers become tested. Ben has something in his past that might help Jenny find a resolution.

Stage designer Anna Fleischle offers a interesting platform to allow the audience to still see parts of the original features and wallpaper against the beginning of the “improvements” which are taking shape. Although Ben suggests that these improvements are ripping the soul out of homes that saw generations of loving families living there before.

The lighting effects by Ian Dickinson add plenty of dramatic effects throughout the play especially when the strobed lights around the stage light up in bright red hiding the stage behind allowing scene changes to take place without the audience knowing what to expect next.

The production is pretty good and with the audience jumping around me the element of surprise caught many off guard. There’s nothing gory or blood thirsty about this play, it’s predominantly psychological as Jenny and Sam argue about the existence of Ghosts apart from the deafening Foxes’ screams.