2:22 – A Ghost Story

As spooky season draws to a close, that doesn’t mean your hauntings and jump scares have to be put to rest for another year. After seven West End seasons, touring the UK twice, and having more than 30 productions across the globe, 2:22 – A Ghost Story is bringing some creepy storytelling Off-Broadway to the Lucille Lortel Theatre.

With a book by Danny Robins, 2:22 follows Jenny (Jasmine Cephas Jones), who, over the past few evenings while her husband has been away, has been hearing strange noises coming from upstairs in her baby’s nursery, always at the exact same time each night: 2:22 am. When her husband, Sam (Finn Jones), returns home, the couple hosts a dinner party with their friends Lauren (Anna Camp), and Ben (Martin Marquez). As the evening unfolds, conversations quickly turn to questions of belief, skepticism, and whether there really is something lurking in the house. Convinced that she isn’t imagining things, Jenny persuades her husband and friends to stay up with her and wait for the mysterious hour of 2:22 to arrive. But what, if anything, will happen when the clock strikes?

Robins’ writing is engaging, well thought out, and exciting from beginning to end. However, I did find myself wanting more resolution by the time I left the theatre. Without giving away any spoilers, the twist is clever and well written, but I left the theatre with more questions than answers, and not necessarily in a good way. While I appreciated the direction the story took, I couldn’t help feeling that a little more explanation of certain plot points would have made for a more satisfying conclusion.

Matthew Dunster and Gabriel Vega Weissman’s direction is effective, particularly considering that the play could easily have become four people sitting in a room talking for two hours. Instead, they keep the actors moving with purpose while also allowing moments to slow down when necessary. This creates a nice contrast and helps maintain the tension and energy throughout, especially for a production with such a small cast and an intimate setting.

I felt that the combination of Robins’ writing and Dunster and Weissman’s direction worked well overall. However, at times, particularly when it came to the jump scares, I found things becoming a little repetitive. As someone who has a love-hate relationship with jump scares, I found that after the first one, the second, third, fourth, and so on became increasingly predictable and less effective. It felt as though each scare followed a similar build-up, making it harder to achieve the same impact as the first.

Our four leads all deliver strong performances, bringing plenty of chemistry and camaraderie to their respective roles. For me, Cephas Jones’ portrayal of Jenny is the standout performance. The emotional weight she has to carry throughout the entire play is considerable, yet she handles it with an impressive sense of ease and authenticity.

Anna Fleischle’s set design beautifully captures the feel of a well-loved home in the middle of a renovation, which Jenny and Sam have moved into while working on upgrading the property. Although we only see one section of the house, the combination of the living room, complete with multiple layers of peeling wallpaper and paint swatches scattered across the walls, and a kitchen that feels more updated than the rest of the home, creates a lived-in and believable setting. Large glass doors upstage offer a glimpse into the backyard, while a doorway stage right allows us to peek into the entrance and staircase leading upstairs. All these elements work together to create a detailed and functional space, giving the actors plenty of room to move and interact without ever feeling confined to one area.

Costume designer Cindy Lin Roferos makes clever use of layering throughout the production, which unfolds over the course of a single evening. With the cast wearing the same outfits throughout, the addition and removal of layers allow the actors to adjust their costumes as they become more comfortable or when heading outside. It’s a simple but effective approach, all executed well.

Lucy Carter’s lighting design and Ian Dickinson’s sound design work seamlessly together to create an immersive atmosphere throughout the play. The combination of loud noises and bright lighting during the more intense moments contrasts nicely with the softer, dimly lit, homely feel of the quieter scenes, complete with a dinner playlist or two playing through the “Alexa”. These elements help establish the mood of each moment while adding to the overall atmosphere of the production.

2:22 – A Ghost Story is another fun night out at the theatre, delivering a few genuine scares, plenty of suspense, and just enough mystery to keep you engaged. Are there scarier productions currently playing in New York? I would have to say yes. However, that doesn’t take away from what this production offers. With a strong cast, an intriguing story, and some well-timed scares, it’s an entertaining evening that will get your heart racing a few times and perhaps leave you questioning what really goes bump in the night. If you’re looking for a little supernatural fun at the theatre, 2:22 is certainly worth staying up for.

2:22 – A Ghost Story
At the Lucille Lortel Theatre
121 Christopher Street
Running time: 2 hours, one intermission
Through January 17, 2027