BATH Theatre Royal hosts a production of a spine-chilling supernatural thriller, 2:22 – A Ghost Story, from 1st to 9th September. The West End hit, by Danny Robins, opens its first UK tour at the beautiful historic Bath theatre.
The play, directed by Matthew Dunster and Isabel Marr, stars Joe Absolom, Charlene Boyd, Nathaniel Curtis and Louisa Lytton. Danny Robins is the creator of the hit BBC podcasts The Battersea Poltergeist and Uncanny. In his hit play, currently at the Apollo Theatre in its sixth West End season, he has created a drama that is both frightening and funny, in a scenario where secrets emerge and ghosts may, or may not, appear.
Jenny believes her new home is haunted, but her husband Sam isn’t having any of it. They argue with their first dinner guests, old friend Lauren and new partner Ben. Can the dead really walk again? Belief and scepticism clash, but something feels strange and frightening, and that something is getting closer, so they’re going to stay up … until 2:22 … and then they’ll know.
Joe Absolom, who plays Ben, received a Supporting Actor BAFTA nomination in 2020 for his performance as Christopher Halliwell in the ITV mini-series A Confession, opposite Martin Freeman and Imelda Staunton. Other big roles include Al Large in Doc Martin from 2004 to 2022, and Matthew Rose in EastEnders from 1997 to 2000. He recently starred as Andy in The Shawshank Redemption which was in Bath this March.
Charlene Boyd, who appears as Lauren, is best known as Jac Dunn in BBC Scotland’s River City. Her theatre credits include the lead in The Strange Undoing of Prudencia Hart for the National Theatre of Scotland at Edinburgh’s Royal Lyceum Theatre, in New York and on tour in America; The Macbeths at the Citizens Theatre Glasgow, and other roles with the National Theatre of Scotland.
Nathaniel Curtis, who plays Sam, played Ash Mukherjee in Russell T. Davies’ powerful Channel 4 series, It’s A Sin. On stage he appeared in Disruption at London’s Park Theatre, Britannicus at Lyric Hammersmith, Romeo and Juliet and The Tempest on UK tour and Pride and Prejudice at Regent’s Park Open Air Theatre.
Louisa Lytton, who plays Jenny, is best known as Ruby Allen in EastEnders, first appearing in 2005 and 2006, and again from 2018 to 2021. Her stage credits include Rizzo in Grease and Debs in Boogie Nights on UK tour and, for the British Shakespeare Company, the roles of Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing and Hermia in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She was the youngest ever contestant in Strictly Come Dancing when she reached the finals in the fourth series.