Review: 2:22 A Ghost Story
Theatre review: A modern ghost story both looks and sounds good on the Arena stage
The British play 2:22 A Ghost Story, which has become a hit around the world, has already been given the status of a modern classic.
Do you believe in ghosts? Some believe and some think it’s nonsense. Beliefs about the souls of dead people who for one reason or another have remained haunted in the world of the living tend to be at the core of horror stories.
English author Danny Robins‘ play 2:22 A Ghost Story, which premiered in London’s West End in 2021, also revolves around the spirit world. The play proved to be a hit in its home country and has since spawned premieres around the world.
Robins is known for the TV series Young Dracula, which has also been shown in Finland. In the comedy series, classic horror elements are combined with the present day, with the everyday environment of ordinary people. The same is repeated in 2:22 A Ghost Story, except in darker tones.
In the play, a traditional horror story is placed in the middle of the busy everyday life of a baby. A young couple, Sam and Jenny (Lauri Tilkanen and Pia Andersson), have recently moved into a Victorian house with their baby. The previous owner of the house, an elderly lady, had to move out after her husband died. The premise may sound like the plot of every other horror movie, but the ingredients still grow into a functional psychological thriller that feels fresh.
Sami and Jenny’s friend Lauren (Sanna-June Hyde) and her slightly grumpy new boyfriend Ben (Sauli Suonpää) have arrived to celebrate their new home. There is chatting and joking, the wine flows. For some reason, however, Jenny is unable to settle down. It turns out that he has heard strange noises from the baby’s room upstairs for three nights in a row, always at exactly the same time. 2:22. Could there be a ghost in the house? As a scientist, Sam does not believe his wife, but trusts that there will be a reasonable explanation for the voices. However, Jenny manages to persuade the others to stay up until the early hours of the morning to prove that the voices and the ghost are real. I can’t tell you more about the plot.
The idea of layering can be seen as one of the themes of the play, both in terms of class differences between people and in the meaning of history. Despite Jenny’s hesitation, Sam has completely renovated the shabby house and its legacy. The old one has been torn down and replaced with glass and metal. Other themes also emerge from under the ever-condensing atmosphere and psychological horror. At times, the performance, which resembles a more traditional spoken word play, brings up thoughts about parenthood, faith and loneliness. The play has already been called a modern classic.
Director Paavo Westerberg is especially known for his directing for large stages. Westerberg’s most recent direction for the Helsinki City Theatre was the acclaimed Fanny and Alexander (2022) on the big stage. 2:22 A Ghost Story will be seen on the theatre’s smaller Arena stage, and that’s a good thing, as the ghost story is perfect for a more intimate, old space. Westerberg’s direction confidently transfers Robins’ text and its psychological horror to the theatre stage.
Andersson, Tilkanen, Hyde and Suonpää form a balanced group of actors. Even though the original text translates into Finnish a bit stiffly, the foursome’s work is natural. Andersson is believable as Jenny, restless with worry, and Tilkanen is very recognizable as Sam, who is a bit arrogant and relies on reason and science. Hyde and Suonpää, on the other hand, are suitably different, as a more relaxed counterpart.
Antti Mattila’s set design builds a detailed apartment on the stage, complete with toilets and skylights. The impression of depth is played with cleverly, and the set design continues from the glass doors all the way to the garden. Many of the scares seen in the performance are effectively done with the interplay of Aleksi Saura’s cinematic sound design and Petteri Heiskanen’s lighting design.
Immersing oneself in the illusion created by theatre is always wonderful, especially when it comes to a genre of thriller rarely seen in theatre. In the end, even watching is a matter of faith. To quote director Westerberg’s words, it is up to the viewer how much they want to surrender to a play like this.
The Arena’s horror play is interestingly constructed and it leaves something to discover even after the performance. By the way, the duration is exactly the 2 hours and 22 minutes.