Play name
2:22 A Ghost Story
By Danny Robins
Director and Contact Details
Mike Darbon
Playing dates
Thursday, 7th – Saturday, 16th January 2027 (including the charity night). There will be a matinee and evening performances on Saturday 9th January. No performance on Sunday, 10th January.
Get-in and Strike
Get-in Sunday 13th December; Strike Sunday 17th January
Venue
Bromley Little Theatre, Main House
Audition
Sunday, 4th October 2026 at 3.00 pm. Second audition, if required, on Sunday, 11th October at 1.00 pm.
About the play
2:22 A Ghost Story is a tense, modern supernatural thriller set over one unsettling night in a London home undergoing renovation. Jenny is convinced something is happening in the house at exactly 2:22am — something she can’t explain and can’t ignore. Sam, her rationalist husband, refuses to believe her. When their friends Lauren and Ben arrive for dinner, and the clock ticks closer to 2:22, secrets surface, relationships strain and the conversation spirals into a gripping debate about belief, fear, and the things we choose not to see.
The play premiered at the Noël Coward Theatre in August 2021 and broke box‑office records for a new play, earning three Olivier Award nominations and winning the WhatsOnStage Award for Best Play.
Since then, it has become a West End phenomenon, transferring between five different West End theatres — an all‑time record for a new play — and attracting a revolving door of high‑profile casts. Its popularity has led to multiple UK tours, with packed houses and repeat seasons across 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026.
Internationally, it has been performed in 17 countries across five continents, reaching over one million theatregoers worldwide, and it will have its New York premiere in October 2026 at the Lucille Lortel Theatre, before returning for further professional UK productions from 2028 onwards.
Consequently, its temporary release for amateur performance is a rare opportunity — a window that will close once the next professional cycle begins.
2:22 A Ghost Story is the debut play of Danny Robins, an award‑winning writer and broadcaster, best known as the creator of the hit BBC podcasts The Battersea Poltergeist and Uncanny, where he investigates real‑life paranormal experiences.
- “A cracking supernatural thriller!” — Time Out ★★★★
- “A slick, chilling romp of a play.” — The Guardian ★★★★
- “A supernatural spine‑chiller.” — Daily Mail ★★★★
- “Robins sets up clues… in a beautifully achieved balance between bewilderment and rage.” — London Theatre
- “A modern classic that brings the ghost story right up to date.” — Cultivated
Time
The present day
Location
Sam and Jenny’s period house in London, undergoing renovation and modernisation
Style and Genre
A hugely successful modern-day supernatural thriller – the debut play of Danny Robins, best known for the popular supernatural podcast series, Uncanny.
Characters
There are four principal characters in the play, Jenny, Sam, Lauren and Ben – ages ranging from early 30s possibly into early 40s. Jenny is married to Sam, Sam and Lauren are friends from university and Ben is Lauren’s plumber, and current boyfriend.
JENNY: Early to mid-30s.
Primary schoolteacher, Jenny, is the emotional centre of the play; anxious, intuitive, protective. A new mother convinced her home is haunted and terrified for her baby’s safety. She is sensitive, perceptive, and becomes increasingly distressed as the night unfolds.
SAM: Mid 30s–early 40s
Jenny’s husband, Sam, is a rationalist; confident, often dismissive and intellectually rigid. He’s a scientist and staunch sceptic who refuses to accept any supernatural explanation. His certainty often comes across as condescending, though he genuinely loves Jenny and his baby daughter.
LAUREN: Early 30s–late 30s
Lauren is an American psychoanalyst. She is free‑spirited, witty and often mischievous but also socially observant. She is Sam’s old university friend but more open‑minded and willing than Sam to entertain Jenny’s fears. However, she enjoys stirring the pot and has a layered emotional history with Sam.
BEN: Mid 30s–early 40s
Lauren’s new partner, Ben, is a practical, down-to‑earth builder, who is grounded, earnest, often humorous but has a genuine belief in the paranormal which drives him to try to help Jenny. However, his belief system clashes with Sam’s scepticism, creating strong friction between them.
There are also two police officers who appear at the very end of the play. It is possible that these roles could potentially be played by members of the stage management team. These could be any gender and the age range can be flexible. Here are brief descriptions for each role.
Police Officer 1: 20s–30s (flexible)
Professional, calm, procedural. The first responder who takes charge of the situation. They’re focused, efficient, and used to dealing with distressed civilians.
Police Officer 2: 20s–30s (flexible)
Supportive, observant, slightly softer in tone. The secondary officer who backs up their colleague, handling the more human‑centred interactions.
Audition pieces
Audition pieces will be selected from the following scenes
1. JENNY
Act 1 Scene 2
Pages 31 – 35
Jenny, Ben, Sam, Lauren
From Page 31:
Jenny: It’s in her room!
To Page 35:
Jenny: … And we both heard it. At 2:22!
Act 2 Scene 4
Pages 77 – 79
Jenny, Sam, (Lauren)
From Page 77:
Jenny: I’ve moved her. Ben says…
To Page 79:
Sam: Jen…! (She exits)
Sam: Fuck!
2. SAM
Act 1 Scene 2
Sam, Jenny
From Page 20:
Sam: Well, I don’t think much of him.
To Page 22:
Sam: Trust me. It will stop.
Act 2 Scene 4
Sam, Lauren
From Page 75:
Sam (sulkily): Whose bloody side are you on?
To Page 77:
Lauren: There is a ghost.
3. LAUREN
Act 1 Scene 3
Lauren, Jenny
From Page 48:
Lauren: When I was young, my parents would drive us out to visit these ghost towns…
To Page 50:
Lauren: Don’t fail me!
Act 2 Scene 6
Lauren, Sam, (Alexa)
From Page 94:
Lauren: Alexa, play Sam’s diner party list.
To Page 96:
Lauren (smiles sadly): Too late, Sammy. I think you’ll find.
4. BEN
Act 2 Scene 4
Ben, Sam, Jenny, Lauren
From Page 66:
Ben: Alright. (Beat) I told you I grew up round here.
To Page 69:
Ben: … a nobody wanting to stay in her shitty little house.
Act 2 Scene 4
Ben, Sam
From Page 80:
Ben: All done.
To Page 81:
Ben (pointedly): I know.
5. GROUP SCENES
THE BABY MONITOR
Act 1 Scene 3
Lauren, Sam, Jenny, Ben
From Page 40:
Lauren (re: monitor): Doesn’t that thing make you paranoid?
To Page 42:
Sam: … There’s a good chance your “ghost” is right here.
THE QUIZ
Act 2 Scene 4
Sam, Ben, Jenny, Lauren
From Page 60:
Sam: It’s time to play – “Do Ghosts Exist?”
To Page 64:
Jenny: Bastard.
THE SÉANCE
Act 2 Scene 5
Ben, Sam, Jenny, Lauren
From Page 85:
Ben: Frank, are you there?
To Page 88:
Ben: Or what? You going to hit me again?
6. PC MILLER and PC STIRLING
Act 2 Scene 6
Jenny, PC Miller, PC Stirling, Ben, Lauren
From Page 97:
Jenny (offstage): Hello?
To Page 100:
End of play
Important Note
Rehearsals are currently scheduled to begin in late October. Because the play is essentially a 4-hander with all four characters on stage for most of the time, if cast, it is essential that you commit to being available for all rehearsals.
As performances are scheduled to begin in the first full week of January 2027, it will also be necessary to rehearse on some days between Christmas and New Year, as the technical and first dress rehearsal will take place on Sunday, 3rd January. Otherwise, we will have very little time to work on what is a technically challenging play on stage.
Consequently, please only audition for a role in the play if you know that you will be able to meet these commitments.