Lily Allen to make her West End debut in the world premiere of new play 2:22 - A GHOST STORY

The world premiere of Danny Robins’ new play 2:22 – A Ghost Story will open at the Noel Coward Theatre in the West End on 3 August, featuring Lily Allen, Julia Chan, Hadley Fraser and Jake Wood.

Directed by Matthew Dunster, the piece features set design by Anna Fleischle, costumes by Cindy Lin, lighting by Lucy Carter, and sound by Ian Dickinson for Autograph Sound.

Lily Allen will make her West End debut playing Jenny, alongside Hadley Fraser (City of Angels) as Sam, Julia Chan (Silent House) as Lauren and Jake Wood (Eastenders) as Ben.

“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.

This edge-of-your-seat, supernatural thriller takes you into one adrenaline-filled night where secrets will emerge and ghosts may appear… What do you believe? And do you dare discover the truth?

Allen said: "I am so excited about getting to work on this play! The live performance aspect of my career has always been the most thrilling part for me, connecting with a group of individuals and the spontaneity of whatever happens on the night. I feel that stepping into this play is an exciting natural extension of that and affords me the best of all worlds. I get to explore mature subject matter, be a woman with a real point of view and show the West End audiences how much I love live performance and being in front of an audience. I can’t wait!

“Danny’s play is a brilliant investigation into the ghosts that haunt us and the how’s and why's they come to be.  It’s everything I love; wit, a meditation on marriage and relationships and family all hinging on a frightening plot. Matthew is an amazing director who has worked with some of the coolest material theatre has to offer. I'm a fan of what he does, and so honoured that he asked me to come on board."

Danny Robins said: "I'm thrilled to be making my West End debut with this jaw-dropping cast and Matthew, one of the most exciting directors in British theatre. Anyone who's heard The Battersea Poltergeist will know my fascination with the question "do ghosts exist?", so 2:22 has been a labour of love, exploring the clash between belief and scepticism through a couple's relationship. And of course it's bloody scary! I wanted to create a night out in the theatre that gives you that delicious tingly feeling in your spine and keeps you on the edge of your seat right up until the end. There's something deeply cathartic about ghost stories - what better way to celebrate the end of social distancing than to grab your mate's arm in terror?  I'm excited to partner with Runaway who have a great track record of delivering really distinctive 'event' theatre. I'm hoping this will be a show you'll enjoy and then argue with your friends about. And I'll be wanting to know on Twitter afterwards - what do YOU believe???”

For more information and to book tickets, please click here.