Review: 2:22 A Ghost Story brings suspense to Milton Keynes Theatre
Are ghosts real? That was the question being posed last night at Milton Keynes Theatre and as the on-stage clocks ticked towards 2:22am we were hoping for some answers.
2:22 A Ghost Story is a tale full of suspense and intrigue.
New mum Jenny (Stacey Dooley) believes her home is haunted.
Husband Sam (Stacey’s real-life hubby Kevin Clifton) is having the property renovated... but does the previous owner, now deceased, disapprove?
Sam’s been away on a work trip and returns to find his exhausted wife suffering from a lack of sleep. She’s been up at 2:22 for four nights in a row insisting she’s been hearing the noise of footsteps in the baby’s room, and a man’s voice.
She’s desperate to be believed, but Sam just ridicules her.
Perhaps Sam’s old university friend Lauren (Shvorne Marks) and new boyfriend Ben (Grant Kilburn) will be more convinced, having had eerie encounters of their own in the past.
The dinner guests are persuaded to stay late by Jenny so they can see what happens when the clock reaches 2:22 again.
The alcohol intake rises as the evening progresses and the tension ratchets up accordingly as the guests and their hosts argue with each other – the increasing loathing between pompous Sam and his ‘mate’, Cockney boy Ben, was particularly well done.
The story unfolds on a single set. It’s a living room/diner, with the characters occasionally leaving out the patio doors for fresh air or a cigarette, or up the stairs to check on the child when the baby monitor prompts it.
As night falls, the outside is decidedly sinister as the mist rolls in. Security lights flicker on for no reason, shut windows seemingly open again.
There are creaking doors and other odd sounds put down to the fact that it’s an old house, while repeated shrill noises are blamed on foxes. A teddy bear drenched in white spirit poses the question is a poltergeist at large?
The show is full of clever touches. Even the innocent-sounding children’s song We’re Going On A Bear Hunt, contains the line “we’re not scared...”
As the digital clocks edge closer to that ominous time, you can feel the tension building. A creepy seance was expertly done with dim lighting and Ben’s phone going off at the most inopportune moment was a great touch.
But despite the overall sinister theme keeping you on edge, there were also plenty of humour sprinkled in – Lauren’s drunken dancing and Sam’s ghostly quiz being just two highlights.
Stacey Dooley shone as Jenny throughout. Entirely believable as a distraught and knackered mother whose only thought was to protect her child.
While it’s certainly full of suspense, don’t expect any massive frights along the way. The only parts of the show which startled large sections of the audience were the sudden piercing screams as the stage went pitch black numerous times without warning. This was to denote the time-jump transitions between scenes as the clocked then ticked forward to the next part of the evening.
So, did we find out if ghosts are real when we got to 2:22? Obviously I can’t spoil that for you. You’ve got until Saturday, September 20 to get along and find out. Book your tickets at ATGTICKETS.COM/MiltonKeynes.