Previews: 2:22 A GHOST STORY At Rival/Intiman

Danny Robbins' play 2:22 A Ghost Story premiered at the Noël Coward Theater in 2021 and has since been played in several rounds on the West End. Just as the title says, something haunts 2:22 in the new house that Jenny (Rakel Wärmländer) and Sam (Adam Pålsson) have moved into with their baby.

Every night at 2:22, Jenny hears something but Sam, who always refers to science. firmly asserts that ghosts do not exist. When their old friend Laura (Johanna Nordström) and her new partner Benny (Johannes Kunke) come to dinner, the main topic of conversation of the evening becomes supernatural phenomena and can the dead walk again. Conviction and doubt are pitted against each other. The only way to get an answer is to wait for 2:22...

Well-acted play where the tension builds the more the characters are fleshed out and their relationships and long friendships are challenged. A fate-filled nerve rests over the salon and the experience is more of a psychological thriller than horror. Of course, you wince the first time you hear the screaming foxes outside the house, but then the effect fades when it is repeated a couple of times too much. The feeling that something threatens the family is constantly present. Inexplicable things happen and are hinted at which gives a certain discomfort. It's a play where you are on your toes all the time as you do not want to miss a clue to what's going on. 

The actorst is completing and balancing each other well. It's a story that captivates more than it scares, which would benefit from being tightened to something to maintain the tension right through. There will be a small uphill before the end comes, but then, on the other hand, it picks up speed and a lot happens in a very short time.

So if you're wondering if ghosts exist, here's your chance to find out.

2:22 A Ghost Story plays at Rival/Intiman September 14 to December 16.

Photo Credit : Peter Knutson