Review: 2:22 A Ghost Story, Criterion Theatre ★★★★☆
by Jim Keaveney.
With its third cast, Danny Robins’s 2:22 A Ghost Story proves there is still life in the production dealing with the afterlife. Its incarnations have relied on an element of ‘star’ casting; Lily Allen in her acting debut (earning herself an Olivier nomination), Eastender Jake Wood, I’m A Celebrity champion Giovanni Fletcher, Brooklyn 99 and Encanto’s Stephanie Beatriz, and Inbetweener James Buckley.
The new cast is no different. Again directed by Matthew Dunster, it features Tom Felton, famous for his portrayal of Draco Malfoy in the Harry Potter series, and Mandip Gill, current Dr Who assistant and love interest. But it feels like a disservice to attribute their casting as being based on their ‘star’ status, given their accomplished turns as Sam and Jenny. It’s fair to say that Felton displays significant potential to follow Daniel Radcliffe, his Harry Potter co-star, into a serious thespian career.
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Mandip Gill and Tom Felton. Photo: Johan Persson |
2:22 A Ghost Story manages to avoid the pitfall of over-using jump scares in place of genuine tension - though the use of fox noises is overplayed and unbelievable (spoken with the experience of someone who has lived the urban-fox-laden Southwark). What the play does incredibly well is to slowly build tension, steadily ramping it up - creating goosebump-inducing chills in moments of pure silence. It is a credit to Dunster's direction.
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Mandip Gill, Sam Swainsbury and Beatriz Romilly. Photo: Johan Persson |
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Tom Felton. Photo: Johan Persson |
2:22 A Ghost Story is at the Criterion Theatre until 4 September
Jim Keaveney is the lead critic at The Understudy. He tweets occasionally from @understudyjim