Jake Wood Replaces Hugo Chegwin in 2:22 A GHOST STORY at The Lyric Theatre

Jake Wood will reprise his award-winning role of Ben in 2:22 A Ghost Story, after Hugo Chegwin has had to withdraw from the production due to illness during the rehearsal period. Jake Wood will perform from 26 January until the end of the run, and previews up until that performance will be covered by understudy Ben Cutler.

The Producers have said: 'Due to illness during the rehearsal period, Hugo Chegwin has sadly had to withdraw from the production. We are delighted to welcome Jake Wood back to the 2:22 family.'

Jake Wood was one of the original cast members of 2:22 A Ghost Story when it opened in summer 2021 at the Noel Coward Theatre, along with Lily Allen, Julia Chan and Hadley Fraser. Jake won the What's On Stage Award for Best Supporting Actor for his performance.

Jake Wood said: "It was an honour to originate the role of Ben at the Noel Coward, winning the What's On Stage best supporting performer in a male identifying role in a play Award for 2021, and I am so excited to be rejoining the cast until the end of April. Danny Robins' script is funny, touching, and so entertaining and easily the best play I have ever read. If you've seen the show before, come back and see it again and I promise that you will enjoy it just as much as I know I will the second time around."

Hugo Chegwin said: 'I've had the flu. Due to being poorly during the rehearsal period, I've had to pull out of the play. I'm absolutely gutted about this and I wish everyone involved in the play the best of luck. The cast are truly amazing'

This is the fourth West End transfer of Danny Robins' edge-of-your-seat, supernatural thriller 2:22 - A Ghost Story. The Lyric is the show's biggest house to date and follows two hugely successful seasons at the Criterion. Last year 2:22 A Ghost Story had Olivier Nominations including Best New Play, and won the Best New Play category in the Whatsonstage awards.

The production began its life in the summer of 2021 at the Noel Coward Theatre starring Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser and Jake Wood. It then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre for 10 weeks from 4 December 2021. The production there, starring Stephanie Beatriz, James Buckley, Elliot Cowan and Giovanna Fletcher, completed its run on 12 February 2022. The first cast at the Criterion Theatre featured Tom Felton, Mandip Gill, Beatriz Romilly, Sam Swainsbury and the current Criterion Theatre cast Tamsin Carroll as Lauren; Felix Scott as Sam, Matt Willis as Ben and Laura Whitmore as Jenny, ended its run on 8 January. The US premiere of 2:22 A Ghost Story at the Ahmanson Theatre, Los Angeles opened on 29 October and ended its run on 4 December 2022.

2.22 - A Ghost Story is written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist and it is directed by Matthew Dunster. Intriguing, funny and scary, it takes audiences into one adrenaline-fueled night where secrets will emerge and ghosts may appear....What do you believe? And do you dare to discover the truth?

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 her 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 are going to stay up... until 2.22am... and then they will know.

2:22 - A Ghost Story features set design by Anna Fleischle, costume design by Cindy Lin, lighting design by Lucy Carter, sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound, casting by Matilda James, CDG, illusions by Chris Fisher, and associate direction by Matt Hassall.

2:22 - A Ghost Story is produced by Tristan Baker and Charlie Parsons for Runaway Entertainment, Isobel David and Kater Gordon.