The full cast has been announced for the UK tour Danny Robins’ edge-of-your-seat, supernatural thriller 2:22 – A GHOST STORY which is at the New Theatre in Cardiff this week. There are some very familiar faces heading our way, and one particular name who has very close links with the capital.
VERA CHOK (Hollyoaks, Cobra) will play Lauren, JAY MCGUINESS (The Wanted, BIG! The Musical, Rip It Up) will play Ben, FIONA WADE (Emmerdale, Silent Witness) will play Jenny, and GEORGE RAINSFORD (Call the Midwife, Casualty) will play Sam.
Written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist, and directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr; 2:22 is an adrenaline-filled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may, or may not, appear…
Danny told us…..
“I continue to be blown away by the success of this play. It demonstrates a huge appetite and curiosity for all things paranormal. This fabulous 7th cast for the 2024 leg of the tour will bring their own energy to these characters, telling the story anew for audiences across the UK. It’s always exciting to see the play come to life again in this way. It’s such a fun night out, and if chills give you thrills you’re in for a treat.”
This play has seen phenomenal success over the last few years, and a terrific cast who seem to come and go as often as the poltergeists. We spoke to two of the latest stars to appear in this production, George and Fiona. They were two weeks into rehearsals and already excited to bring the show to South Wales…..
2:22 A Ghost Story premiered at the Noel Coward Theatre, starring Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser, and Jake Wood, where it won the WhatsOnStage award for Best Play. It then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre for 10 weeks, starring Stephanie Beatriz, James Buckley, Elliot Cowan, and Giovanna Fletcher, which completed its run on 12 February 2021. For the first season at the Criterion (May – September 2022), the cast included Tom Felton, Mandip Gill, Sam Swainsbury, and Beatriz Romilly, the second season, launching in September, starred Laura Whitmore, Matt Willis, Felix Scott, and Tamsin Carroll.
The box office record-breaking run at the Lyric starring Cheryl, Jake Wood, Scott Karim, and Louise Ford, concluded its run on 23 April. The West End season at the Apollo Theatre starred Sophia Bush, Ricky Champ, Clifford Samuel and Jaime Winstone, and set off on its UK tour in Autumn 2023 with Joe Absolom, Charlene Boyd, Nathaniel Curtis and Louisa Lytton in the cast.
The story will leave you guessing, on the edge of your seat, and laughing too, all in equal measures.
Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up… until 2:22… and then they’ll know.
2:22 A GHOST STORY gets to the New Theatre in Cardiff from this evening, Tuesday 23rd to Saturday 27th January. Performances are at 7:30pm with a 2:30pm matinee on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Although it would be very cool of it actually started at 2:22 (it doesn’t by the way). For more details, and tickets, go HERE.
