The big names in Melbourne’s 2.22 – A Ghost Story:(from right to left) Daniel MacPherson,Ruby Rose,Gemma Ward and Remy Hii.Credit:Wayne Taylor
Its horror plot is well-worn:a husband and wife,Jenny and Sam,move into a new house only to find Jenny is woken by strange noises every night at exactly 2.22am. Sam,an ardent sceptic when it comes to ghouls and goblins,cannot entertain the prospect of anything supernatural and invites their friends,Lauren and Ben,to stay up with them to prove nothing is afoot. But something is,of course,very much afoot.
It may seem rather predictable,but throw a blockbuster cast into the mix and anything can stick.
Written by Danny Robins (creator of hit BBC podcastThe Battersea Poltergeist) and directed by Matthew Dunster,2.22 premiered in the UK in 2021 and has since been performed by a smorgasbord of stars across various British theatres,including Tom Felton (Harry Potter),James Buckley (The Inbetweeners),Mandip Gill (Doctor Who) and evenSmilesinger Lily Allen.
It evolved into a global phenomenon after hitting the Los Angeles Ahmanson Theatre last year,starring an Americanised quartet of big names,including Constance Wu(Crazy RichAsians),Finn Wittrock (American Horror Story),Anna Camp (Pitch Perfect) and Adam Rothenberg (Ozark).
The Melbourne iteration has secured its own group of recognisable faces sure to elicit the response,“ohthat person is in it?”
Daniel MacPherson,a Logie winner known for his roles as Joel Samuels onNeighboursand Cameron Tait onThe Bill,plays Ben. Lauren will be played by DJ,model,television presenter and actress Ruby Rose,previously seen in global blockbusters includingOrange Is the New Black,The MegandJohn Wick:Chapter 2.