Cast announced for 2:22 – A Ghost Story at the King’s Theatre

The production will star Joe Absolom (A Confession, Doc Martin) as Ben, Scottish actress Charlene Boyd (Mayflies, River City) as Lauren, Nathaniel Curtis (It’s a Sin, The Witcher) as Sam and Louisa Lytton (EastEnders, The Bill) as Jenny.

Charlene Boyd, who was born and raised in Glasgow said: ‘To say I am thrilled to be joining this iconic Ghost Story would be an understatement. The buzz around this brilliant show is incredibly exciting and I for one, cannot wait for the ride. Bring it on!’

Charlene’s work includes TV’s Mayflies and River City, as well as The Macbeths onstage at the Citizen’s Theatre. She is currently under commission by National Theatre of Scotland and Grid Iron Theatre Company writing her first full length play.

Joe Absolom, who will be treading the boards at The King’s in the role of Ben, received a Supporting Actor BAFTA nomination in 2020 for his performance as Christopher Halliwell in A Confession, opposite Martin Freeman and Imelda Staunton. He was also in the part of Andy in the Theatre Royal Windsor tour of The Shawshank Redemption. His television credits include The Bay, The Level and Doc Martin.

Joe said: ‘I’ve heard so much about 2:22 so am really honoured to be asked to join the new cast…..I can’t wait to see how A Ghost Story plays out in the medium of theatre….’

It’s A Sin star Nathaniel Curtis and Louisa Lytton, who played Ruby Allen in BBC’s Eastenders, will be joining Charlene and Joe in this edge-of-your seat, supernatural thriller.

This is the first time that 2:22 – A Ghost Story will be at The King’s Theatre, following a series of successful West End runs.

Written by award-winning writer Danny Robins, creator of the hit BBC podcast The Battersea Poltergeist, and who will be at the Theatre Royal Glasgow with his show Uncanny: I Know What I Saw in November, 2:22 is an adrenaline-filled night where secrets emerge and ghosts may, or may not, appear.

Danny Robins said: ‘I’m thrilled with our first cast for the 2:22 A Ghost Story UK tour and can’t wait to see how each actor brings their own distinctive take to the play. It's quite the journey we are on and we look forward to spooking new audiences across the UK. 2:22 is an adrenaline-fuelled experience that gives you the licence to gasp, scream, and yelp!’

“There’s Something in our house. I hear it every night, at the same time”

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.

The newly-announced cast will follow in the footsteps of several record-breaking runs, including its premiere at the Noel Coward Theatre, which starred Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser, and Jake Wood and where it won the WhatsOnStage award for Best Play. It then transferred to the Gielgud Theatre for 10 weeks, starring Stephanie Beatriz, James Buckley, Elliot Cowan, and Giovanna Fletcher, which completed its run on 12 February 2021. For the first season at the Criterion (May - September 2022), the cast included Tom Felton, Mandip Gill, Sam Swainsbury, and Beatriz Romilly, the second season, launching in September, starred Laura Whitmore, Matt Willis, Felix Scott, and Tamsin Carroll.

The box office record-breaking run at the Lyric starring Cheryl, Jake Wood, Scot Karim, and Louise Ford, concluded its run on 23 April. The current West End season at the Apollo Theatre stars Sophia Bush, Ricky Champ, Clifford Samuel and Jaime Winstone.