2 22 a ghost story Buxton Opera House
November 17th 2025
From the very start, the show, written by Danny Robins, and directed by Matthew Dunster, pulls you in – quite literally – through its meticulously detailed set.
I spent the first few minutes simply absorbing it: a flat newly occupied by a couple with a baby, mid-renovation. Peeling wallpaper, a distinctly retro fireplace, a compact kitchenette – it feels uncannily real, like stepping into a slightly worn Friends-style apartment. You can almost smell the dust.
But of course, this is no ordinary flat.
As the story unfolds, the domestic setting becomes increasingly unsettling. The protagonist Jenny, played with mounting intensity by Stacey Dooley alongside real life partner Kevin Clifton as her husband Ben is convinced the apartment is haunted. What follows is a slow-burning psychological unravelling. Are there ghosts, or is something else at play? The sense of doubt is constant – and deliberately so. Nothing is straightforward, and no one, audience included, gets an easy ride. ALthough I didn't fifnd the scares to be sufficient for the hype, lound bangs and bright red lights so not constitute fear.
The play needed more in the vein of spooky, a burning teddy bear and mysterious noises on the baby monitor for instance were the only highlights.
By the time the final denoument appeared it was a relief to be proven right with my suspicions of what was happening,rather than a big suprise. Opportunity wasted.
John Walker
★★
★
 |
 |
 |