After seven West End seasons, a record breaking UK and Ireland tour, and more than a dozen productions worldwide, 2:22 A Ghost Story has returned to the New Theatre Cardiff and it proves exactly why it continues to grip audiences.
Winner of Best New Play at the WhatsOnStage Awards, Danny Robins’ supernatural thriller manages to be funny, tense, relatable and unsettling all at once. It is sharp writing, brilliantly observed, and very close to home.
At its heart, this is a single set play. The entire production takes place in one living space. A newly renovated older property, the kind you would easily picture in Pontcanna or Llandaff. Period charm, modern touches, the sense of history in the walls. The attention to detail is remarkable. Children’s toys scattered around, a high chair tucked beside the table, mugs of coffee, the fridge humming quietly in the background, even a small modern garden beyond the doors. It feels real. Completely lived in.
That realism is important, because the story hinges on everyday life. Jenny believes their new home is haunted. Her husband Sam dismisses it. Over dinner with old friend Lauren and her new partner Ben, the debate about belief versus scepticism begins. Can the dead return. Or is it all imagination.
What unfolds is not just a ghost story, but a study of modern relationships. The pressures of getting older. Having children. Renovating homes. Balancing careers. Trying to hold onto identity. And then there is always that one friend who has not quite settled into traditional norms. Although what even is normal anymore.
There are moments where you sit there and think, we all know someone like that.
As tensions rise, insecurities surface. Vulnerabilities are exposed. On screen you might rely on dramatic cuts and cinematic tricks, but on stage that pressure has to build in real time. Danny Robins does a very good job of heightening those cracks without relying on spectacle.
The cast keep it tight and believable. James Bye as Sam delivers a convincing blend of stubborn logic and underlying frustration. Natalie Casey’s Lauren brings warmth and sharp humour. Grant Kilburn’s Ben carries a quiet intensity, while Shvorne Marks as Jenny anchors the emotional centre of the play. They bounce off each other naturally, which makes the supernatural elements land even harder.
And yes, it will make you jump. There are flashing lights and moments designed to jolt you. But it is not cheap shock for the sake of it. The tension creeps up on you.
Just when you think you have worked it out, think again.
It is thought provoking, unsettling and at times unexpectedly moving. You will leave debating it. What do you believe.
2:22 A Ghost Story runs at the New Theatre Cardiff until Saturday 21 February 2026 before heading to Oxford.
Tickets start from £33 and are available via the theatre’s website here.
