Review: 2:22 A Ghost Story
2:22 – A Ghost Story is a thriller rare in theaters that glues viewers to the seats
Helsinki City Theatre’s Arena Stage 2:22 – A Ghost Story makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end. The thriller holds its grip from start to finish.
It’s rare to encounter a play that holds you in such a grip! Helsinki City Theatre’s Arena Stage 2:22 – A Ghost Story quickly shows that this is not a joke. I don’t remember seeing a thriller in the theatre before, and the play is a refreshing exception compared to the more “tame” performances. You don’t have to wait long for the first scare, and the rest goes by like clockwork.
Jenny (Pia Andersson) and Sam (Lauri Tilkanen) have invited guests, but the preparations have been left to Jenny. Sam, who has travelled to a remote island, has been unreachable for days because he lost his phone. Lauren (Sanna-June Hyde) is Sami’s long-time friend and Ben (Sauli Suonpää) is Lauren’s new fiancée.
The evening immediately takes a strange turn when Jenny says that she has heard footsteps and her husband’s crying from the family’s baby Phoebe’s room at 2:22 a.m. for several nights already. Since the family has recently moved into their huge house and completely renovated it, the theory arises that it could be the ghost of the previous resident of the house.
The four decide to stay awake until that time and find out if there really is a ghost. This is the beginning of a tormenting expectation, during which emotions become tense and relationships crack. The natural cast conveys well the kind of madness that the crowd sinks into in the wee hours, tired and drunk.
Everyone has a slightly different attitude to the situation, and as the evening progresses, the differences become more pronounced. While Sam, who is inclined to be competent, tries to explain phenomena with reason, to keep the reins of the world in his hands, Ben is ready for a spiritualism session. When there is still some confusion between Sam and Lauren, the air soon starts to crackle with electricity. The situation is not relaxed by the fact that foxes are screaming outside and the window is mysteriously left open. And is it just a funny coincidence that the virtual assistant Alexa only obeys women?
The play has powerful lights and sounds (sound design by Aleksi Saura, lighting design by Petteri Heiskanen) that frighten the audience, but the power of the psychological thriller is still in the creeping tension that makes the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end and your hands sweat. It is especially clever to place the events in the children’s room, where the baby is alone. Few people are able to take a neutral attitude towards it.
The performance proceeds smoothly and naturally at a good tempo. Danny Robins’ script and Paavo Westerberg’s direction move the play forward seamlessly. The viewer has to wait a long time to see if the events can be explained by the supernatural and natural. The story and its elements inevitably arise after the performance, as the play contains a surprise. Its secrecy is requested from the public separately, and for good reason.